Volunteer Féline Lo: Creating Community with Conversation and Giving Back

Féline celebrating her fourth volunteer anniversary at God’s Love during our 35th anniversary.

After moving to NYC from Washington, D.C in her twenties, designer Féline Lo felt like she needed to give back to the City that had given her so much and become her home. She began volunteering at different non-profit organizations, picking up leftover produce at Union Square market after closing time for local soup kitchens, working at a coat drive, and distributing free groceries on Sunday morning in Queens. She came to God’s Love because of her love of cooking and feeding others and quickly found her volunteer purpose.

“I love everything about the organization, its mission, its staff and volunteers. I’ve made life-long friends here! This work is so purposeful, the energy in the kitchen is just beyond, and everyone is so kind here!”

It’s now been more than a decade since Féline first showed up in our kitchen for our 6:30a “early bird” shift. When we asked her why she keeps coming back, she tells us “To be part of an organization that does amazing work to help the community. Plus, it’s always a guaranteed fun day in the kitchen … as long as you show up!”

Féline treasures her Friday mornings in the kitchen, and it’s her volunteer colleagues that keep her rooted in community and ready to set the alarm for an early Friday morning. “When I first started in the tiny kitchen (before the renovation to The Michael Kors Building), we were all squeezed together, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out how incredibly clever, worldly, well-read and just hilarious everyone was,” she says.

“I look forward to the shift every week just to listen to my fellow volunteers’ conversations while spooning soup or chopping carrots. I hear about the best new show on Broadway, the best books to read, the newest art exhibit, the best restaurant, and we cover the most interesting topics in conversation. I’ve learned a lot throughout the years just by listening, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the God’s Love family.”