Meet a Neighborhood Coordinator: Elizabeth Kunz

PORCH has been a family affair for the Kunz family since moving to Chapel Hill about three years ago. Elizabeth is a junior at Carolina Friends School. She inherited the role of Neighborhood Coordinator for the Westwood/Dogwood Drive area from her two older sisters when they went off to college. She’s served in this capacity for only a few months now but plans to continue until she graduates more than a year from now. We are so glad she is able to balance this volunteer work with her studies. Read on to learn more about why she thinks this work is so critical – and get her tips for becoming a more effective volunteer! 

(Neighborhood Coordinators organize the monthly food collections for a neighborhood or street. They are responsible for spreading the word about the designated day for the monthly food drives, picking up donations from neighborhood porches, and getting the non-perishable bags of food to a central location. Interested in finding out more about the role of Neighborhood Coordinator? Get in touch with us! chc@porchcommunities.org) 

How did you first hear about PORCH? 

My mom first discovered PORCH when we moved to the neighborhood. One of my older sisters became involved in PORCH, then passed down the job of Neighbor Coordinator to my second oldest sister, and then to me. It’s a great way for me to be involved in my community, and I’m glad to do it every month. 

What would you say to someone thinking about getting involved with PORCH? 

Definitely do it. It’s a great way to help out your community, and it doesn’t take that much effort or time. It’s beneficial to so many people, and you’re able to contribute and help out so many people. 

Why do you think PORCH’s mission is so critical? 

PORCH helps supply so many families with food. Many families rely on food banks, and PORCH helps supply that food – without it and the participants, many families may not get what they need. Being able to be a part of the organization in some way is really great. It’s full of volunteers who believe in the cause and have the same mission and goal as PORCH and want to help out wherever they can. 

Do you have any tips/tricks you can offer to help others be more effective Neighborhood Coordinators? 

Making sure to stay on top of emailing your neighborhood as soon as possible so that, if they choose, they have time to buy what food is most needed so that we maximize the amount of food donated. Also making sure to communicate any scheduling changes that may happen.