From Hoops to Helping Hands: Teen Leads Food Pantry Volunteers

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

Seventeen-year-old Findley Gardiner of Maplewood, New Jersey, is a high school senior, balancing homework, his social life, drums and basketball practice with something that’s become a core part of who he is – volunteering. Despite his busy schedule, Findley has devoted more than 250 hours to serving his community through Jersey Cares spending most weekends at food pantries stocking shelves, serving families and leading volunteer teams.

As one of the youngest project coordinators in the organization’s history, Findley helps events run smoothly and keeps volunteers motivated, all while finding ways to fight hunger and homelessness in his community. What began as a simple way to fulfill a school service requirement has become a defining part of his life.

What inspired you to start volunteering with Jersey Cares?

I go to a Jesuit Catholic high school, and every year we’re required to complete a certain number of service hours. At first, I honestly just wanted to get it out of the way. But my perspective really changed during my sophomore year when I went on a weeklong service trip to Los Angeles.

We worked in some of the most underdeveloped areas like Skid Row and Boyle Heights, where we met people who were trying to rebuild their lives after experiencing homelessness, incarceration or immigration challenges. We volunteered with Homeboy Industries, which helps people recently released from jail reintegrate into society. Meeting people who had been through so much but were still finding ways to get involved was really powerful.

That trip gave me a lot of perspective. I realized that people experiencing homelessness aren’t that different from us—they’ve just been unlucky or faced obstacles most of us don’t think about. When I came home, I wanted to make an impact in my own community, so I started volunteering locally with Jersey Cares.

What kind of volunteer work do you do through Jersey Cares?

Most of what I do focuses on food insecurity and homelessness. I help stock shelves at food pantries, organize distribution tables and serve people directly. In 2024, I started volunteering at several food pantries near my home in Maplewood, and that led to me become a project coordinator.

As a project coordinator, I’m responsible for making sure volunteer events run smoothly. I communicate with volunteers before events, take attendance, coordinate with pantry staff, and make sure everyone knows what to do. It’s not the hardest job, but it’s a meaningful one. You’re kind of the point person between the organization and the volunteers. Most of the time I lead about eight to 15 volunteers, but sometimes it’s as many as 25.

It’s taught me a lot about leadership and responsibility, especially since I became a coordinator at 16, a year earlier than the minimum age. Technically, I had to do it alongside my mom at first because of my age, but it’s been great to grow into that role and be trusted with more responsibility.

You and your brother also started a neighborhood food drive. Tell me more about that.

Yeah, that started when a new food pantry opened near the top of my street. My mom and I realized a lot of our neighbors probably had unopened cans and extra food they could donate, but they didn’t always have time to go drop them off. So we started a doorstep donation program. We’d go door to door once a month, collect items from people’s porches, and bring them to the Maplewood Community Fridge.

It started with just our street, but it grew to cover four or five blocks. Other people saw what we were doing and started doing the same thing in their neighborhoods, which was really cool.

What do you find most rewarding about volunteering?

The people I’ve met—both the volunteers and the people we serve—have been the most rewarding part. You learn so much just by hearing their stories.

One moment that really stayed with me was back at Homeboy Industries. Our tour guide there was someone who had been in jail, been shot multiple times and struggled with gang involvement. But after someone helped him, he turned his life around and started helping others who were in the same position he once was. Hearing his story made me realize how one act of kindness can create a ripple effect that changes lives.

Even when I’m just handing someone a sandwich at a food pantry, I think about how something that small can make their day a little easier. It’s made me see that what might feel like a small effort can mean everything to someone else.

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?

Volunteering has completely changed how I see the world. I’ve learned that people who are struggling—whether with housing, work or anything else—are often just one unlucky break away from a very different life. It’s not as simple as “just get a job.”

It’s also taught me that every bit helps. Even if I’m only volunteering for an hour, I’m still handing someone food they might not have had otherwise. That’s a small act, but it’s making a real impact.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start volunteering?

I’d say just go for it. A lot of people are nervous because they don’t know what to expect or they worry it might be unsafe or uncomfortable. But honestly, everyone I’ve met through volunteering has been so kind and welcoming.

You don’t have to do something huge to make a difference. Even small actions—one hour, one event, one donation—can have a big impact. And once you start, you’ll realize how rewarding it is and probably want to do more.

What do you hope people take away from your story?

Where you start doesn’t matter as much as what you do next. I didn’t start volunteering because I had some big plan to change the world. I started because I had to. But after seeing the impact I could make, I kept going because I wanted to.

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