Rafaela left her home country of Venezuela with a suitcase of dreams. Leaving everything and everyone she loved behind wasn’t easy, but the choice was one she had to make. When she arrived in New York City, she struggled to find her footing, but eventually discovered a sense of home at Food Bank’s Warehouse & Distribution Center in the Bronx.
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Rafaela working an early morning shift at Food Bank’s Warehouse & Distribution Center in the Bronx.
As a Warehouse Professional, Rafaela spends her days getting food to our neighbors all across the five boroughs. Long hours of heavy lifting, operating fork lifts, and utilizing pallet jacks can be exhausting, but Rafaela says she’s proud to give back to a city and a country that has given her so many opportunities.
“When you hit rock bottom, you learn to value every single thing you have,” she told us. “It’s a sense of gratitude you keep in your heart. I want to show myself every day that I can do it… I have no limits – the sky is the limit.”
Rafaela loading cases of shelf-stable goods at Food Bank’s Warehouse & Distribution Center in the Bronx.
We caught up with Rafaela during one of her shifts to learn more about her fighting spirit to empower every New Yorker to achieve food security for good. Hit play and meet her below:
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