Transcript:
Ron Olaizola, Associate Director of Operations, Warehouse & Logistics:
In New York, our number one standard is making sure that we care.
Jeff Daughtry, Manager of Warehouse Operations:
These look good. I like that.
Ron:
That we do everything with a sense of kindness. Keep up the good work. That is the standard we abide by.
Marcus Stenson, Warehouse Professional:
That’s what I’m talking about!
Ron:
The transportation piece is the part that actually makes the magic happen—the part that allows all this planning and preparation to come into fruition. We have over forty trucks and we have over forty drivers.
Deb Jones, Transportation Manager:
How are you guys today?
Ron:
They show up every day, and they show up with smiles on their faces. Have a safe trip.
Deb:
Thank you.
I find my job very rewarding. I love what I do. I love knowing that I’m helping people.
Ron:
Our drivers are modern-day heroes.
Deb:
We always want to make sure we do a pre-trip before leaving out.
Ron:
Safety is the number one priority.
Deb:
My tires and everything are good.
Ron:
All of our trucks are equipped with state-of-the-art tracking components, which allow us to see where our trucks are, where they’ve been, and where they’re going in real time. In addition, they have cameras and environmental monitors to ensure freezer and cooler items are maintained at the right temperature. This is logged every minute of the day.
Making sure the food stays within the right temperature parameters is extremely important—because if the food spoils, people don’t eat.
Deb:
Alright. We always want to un-chock our wheel. It’s safe for me to go.
I’ve been driving since 2006, so I’m going on some pretty long years right now. I love hitting the road.
My dad used to drive school buses, and he brought me with him all the time.
So, I think being in big vehicles just felt comfortable. We can average about six to eight stops on a truck.
Ron:
Sometimes they’re out on the road before the sun even comes out.
Deb:
We deliver to the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. It’s never a dull moment in the five boroughs.
Ron:
What makes New York City a difficult city to navigate is that the map was built almost 150 years ago.
Deb:
This is a 26-foot box truck, so maneuvering through New York City streets isn’t always easy.
Ron:
Time is of the essence. High traffic is something they face daily.
Deb:
It can be a little bit of pressure.
Ron:
If we’re late, that means someone may not get food in time. If they don’t get food in time, that could mean a little boy or girl doesn’t have dinner that night.
Deb:
That is my why.
Ron:
They sacrifice a lot of their time. They work long hours and never complain. They’re eager to help because some of our drivers understand what it means to experience hunger—and also what it means to try to fill the gap.
Deb:
Food insecurity hits home for me. It’s a feeling of the unknown—you don’t know when your next meal is going to be. Knowing firsthand gives you a different perspective and drives you to help someone else not feel what you once felt when you didn’t have anything.
Ron:
What I’m most proud of in the transportation department is how we’ve grown. We used to outsource deliveries to a third-party logistics team that would make deliveries on our behalf. We decided as an organization to bring everything in-house. Being hands-on and having control has been transformational for this organization.
Deb:
Alright, here we go. Almost at our destination now—at the community kitchen.
Ron:
The most important thing drivers deliver is happiness. It’s hard to be happy when you’re hungry.
Deb:
Here we have people waiting in line for the food we’re about to deliver. You take a moment and say, like, wow.
Ron:
When they show up, the red carpet comes out. They walk in, they know everyone.
Deb:
How are you doing? It’s a time to reflect on where you could be and where you are in life.
Ron:
The sheer volume of food we can distribute—and the number of people we can feed—absolutely makes this a worthy cause.
Jeff:
It looks amazing. I can see it from here.
Ron:
What it takes to deliver food requires real dollars to bridge the gap for New Yorkers.
The impact of donor dollars on transportation is huge. Without them, we wouldn’t exist. It would be impossible to compelte our mission.
Transportation is the last mile.
Deb:
We’re delivering more than just food. We’re delivering hope.
Ron:
It’s about bridging the gaps for those who have none.
