By Tracey Friedman, Executive Director
I'll be honest — walking in on my first day, I had a whole mix of feelings. Wonderfully excited, yes. But nervous, too. What if the community doesn't respond well to me?
I didn't need to worry for long.
I was welcomed with a banner on my office door, flowers from the board, and my business cards already printed and waiting on my desk. Pat, our board chair, brought me two copies of the newspaper from March — the one that announced I was joining the team. And Susan, who I have very quickly learned is the backbone of this entire office, had already set up my laptop and workstation before I even arrived. I felt so seen.
That said, the first day was a lot. Pat, who volunteers in the market on Mondays, came by after her shift to check on me and told me I looked a little glazed over. She wasn't wrong. I'm transitioning from a job I held for five years into an entirely different organization, with a different mission, in a different region. There's a lot to absorb. But that's okay. I'm here for it.
I spent the week meeting with our leadership team - some of the people who have kept this agency afloat since the Fall. They have been incredibly generous with their time and incredibly kind, and I want to recognize that this transition isn't just mine. It's theirs, too. I also started one-on-one meetings with staff, which I plan to continue. I want to understand everyone's history here, their schedules, and their working styles. There's no shortcut to that — it just takes time and listening.
I also sat in with the development committee to talk about our upcoming gala on October 2nd at the Blue Ocean in Salisbury. Our working name? ONT After Dark — complete with a live jazz band. Mark your calendars. More details to come.
The highlight of my week was —  hands down —  attending the community meal at the church on Wednesday evening.
This meal has been running since 1992. (Side note: I was two years old. in 1992.) Every Wednesday, a team of dedicated volunteers serves hot meals to those in need — and they do it restaurant-style, waitress service and all. I met volunteers who have been showing up for over ten years, and volunteers like Jeanne, who is on only her second week. Every single one of them said the same thing: they absolutely love doing this.
There was music — Mike Driscoll who plays every week (except the third Wednesday of the month, when he has a paying gig, which I respect) — and at one point, a volunteer named Sarah got up and sang with him. The kitchen is impressively small for the amount of food that comes out of it. The meal was delicious, especially the garlic bread. We even got a 5-star Google review that said so. I clearly picked the right night to go.
On Thursday I sat in on volunteer orientation, where we had upwards of 14 new volunteers coming in to learn about ONT and explore how they could help. One piece of feedback I heard more than once: it can be hard to get a shift once you sign up. That's almost a good problem to have — so much enthusiasm! — but I want to make sure we meet people where they are. I assured everyone who mentioned it that we will be taking a close look at our volunteer opportunities to expand them and make sure everyone who wants to help has a real chance to do so.
Later that afternoon I ran into Rita, who was actually part of the volunteer committee that interviewed me during the hiring process. She is wonderful. She told me that a group of volunteers are in the early stages of forming a Volunteer Advisory Council — working on their initial mission statement and name that very evening. I got to be part of that conversation, and together we landed on a name: V.O.I.C.E. — Volunteers Organizing Impact, Community, and Engagement. I think that says it all, really.
Week one is in the books, and I feel energized in a way I wasn't sure I'd feel this quickly. There is so much heart in this organization — in the staff, in the board, in the volunteers, in the people who show up week after week because they genuinely believe in what we're doing. I can't wait to keep going.
Thank you for the warm welcome. I'm so glad to be here.

Tim Barash's experience with ONT started simply enough five years ago. An avid gardener in Amesbury, he would donate his surplus tomatoes and other produce. And as he neared retirement, he was looking to get involved in something new and decided to sign on as a volunteer.
Every ONT volunteer finds their niche, and for Tim that started in the warehouse unloading deliveries. That led to trips to the Greater Boston Food Bank to load, transport and unload our supplies. And then he found his place behind the wheel of our trucks and vans.
He began picking up the weekly supply of milk and eggs and Market Basket, and more opportunities began to open up. He'd deliver food to the Community Meal and get donations from Stop & Shop.
One of his favorite stops is Heritage Towers in Amesbury, where he could see an old friend. Now he also goes to the Amazon warehouse in North Andover each week to pick up 8 donated pallets of products. And now he even drives the ONT truck in the Yankee Homecoming parade.
"People yell and cheer when they see the truck," he says. "It's pretty amazing to see what ONT means to people."
Adam Letendre, ONT's Hub Operations Supervisor says: "Tim fully lives the mission of Our Neighbors' Table, always offering to help his neighbors in need. He's been an instrumental part of our operations and is one of our most reliable volunteers, even filling in at the last minute. He genuinely enjoys helping out his community."
Thank you Tim for all you do!
ONT needs drivers! If you are interested, contact [email protected].