Driving Donations: Volunteer Connects Community Members with Vital Items

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Vincent Barango. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light. 

Vince Barango had a varied career, mainly landing in real estate and construction, though he did own a golf store for a period. As he neared retirement, it was his role as a landlord that led him in a new direction, giving his post-career chapter new purpose. Many tenants who participate in the government’s housing assistance program, Section Eight, also known as Housing Choice Vouchers, have unmet basic needs. Vince decided to make it easier to meet them.  

He volunteers to drive countless miles across Indiana and parts of Illinois to pick up and deliver donations for Porter County Aging and Community Services (PCACS), an organization that directly provides resources and assistance to seniors, individuals with disabilities and low-income community residents. He is the practical connection between things–shoes, socks, undergarments, food and more–and those who need them most. It’s work that keeps food on tables and restores dignity to those going through difficult times. 

What inspires you to volunteer? 

I remember being in high school and going to a soup kitchen for school. I went to a private school, and I realized we were insulated from seeing people in need. I was always sensitive to people who needed things, because at one point, while we weren’t destitute, we were poorer at times. I looked at the disparity in people’s wealth and understood that some people really needed things, and there are a lot of reasons why this can happen. 

When I’d see people who would help, I thought that was really nice. A sign of a good, healthy population is when you help those who need it.

What inspired you to get started with this initiative?  

As a landlord, I worked with a lot of Section Eight tenants. That’s how I met Valerie Martinez, who worked as the director of Section Eight here in Porter County. Few landlords would take them, because they didn’t pay as much. I decided to take many, because there were advantages for both me and them. Plus, it helped people.  

Due to that, Valerie and I spoke frequently. A few years ago, when I went in to sign papers, she asked me to sponsor a box of women’s hygiene products for people who needed them. I wrote her a check, and it shipped for free. I did that a few times and then didn’t hear any more about it. When I followed up, she said shipping had tripled in price, and it was getting hard to run the program. I was nearing retirement and offered to start picking stuff up. So, she sent me out. That’s how it started. 

Tell us about your volunteer role with Porter County Aging and Community Services. 

I was just on the phone with Valerie, whose job is now seeking out donations. She was trying to set up another, bigger pickup in Indianapolis with feminine products. Most of the people on Section Eight are single women and don’t have enough money to buy critical things.  

She finds donations, and I pick them up. I went to Fort Wayne to pick up 1,200 pairs of shoes, then Joliet for food. That was about a 10-hour trip from start to finish. At Helping Hands in Buffalo Grove, we schedule pickups, and they help you load. If items are big or heavy, I have to figure out how much I can carry. There’s a lot of coordination. 

I don’t have the means to take perishables, because there’s no way to keep them cool. Recently, Valerie found a place that had 6,000lbs of peanut butter. They wanted to forklift it on, and since we don’t have a forklift to get it off, we had to coordinate volunteers on the other end. I’ve taken some friends with me occasionally, but for the most part, it’s just me picking up. I’ll average three to five times a month.  

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer? 

There are some very genuine people willing to help. The fact that these programs exist is a good sign. It busts the stereotype about who’s poor and who’s helping. 

What should people know about the process? 

For many organizations, there are tax deductions for donations. They can use them as a write off. A lot of times, they can get rid of B stock. Maybe labels were screwed up or packages weren’t filled enough. It’s a good way to help somebody and prevent waste.  

I heard that one country passed a law requiring extra food to be donated. You can’t just throw it out. There are regulations here–you don’t want to donate something that could get someone sick, but that’s not what we’re talking about. People have reservations about things that are past date. If you look it up, not everything is scary. There are some things you probably wouldn’t touch, but some just lose some flavor. They’re not dangerous. 

Tell us about future partnerships, programs or events that you are excited about. 

There are several pickups scheduled. Valerie also has periodic giveaways, whenever she gathers enough to warrant it. Peanut butter is great, but is someone going to burn $3 in fuel just to get a $3 jar of it? It has to be worthwhile. And if they don’t have the means to come, that’s another problem. I think some people might even be embarrassed to come, so Valerie has tried to make it comfortable.  

What do you want people to learn from your story? 

There are people out there who need help, and you can make a difference, even if you think it’s small. And people are not selfish or greedy. I think that’s the stigma. Somebody pulled up for a giveaway in a BMW, and someone made the comment that they didn’t need donations. But you don’t know. You don’t know if they borrowed the car, rented it, or if it’s about to be repossessed. So, please don’t judge. Helping somebody get something they really need or couldn’t have gotten on their own is what drives me. 

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Vince? Find local volunteer opportunities.