Apex Community Supermarket volunteers: Conor Meehan (top right) and Tom O'Kane (bottom left)Volunteering at Apex Community Supermarket
It’s Volunteers’ Week, an opportunity to celebrate and say thanks to our volunteers who give up their time selflessly to help deliver our services.
Apex Community Supermarket has been particularly busy since the start of the current pandemic, helping local families with essential food supplies and support. We took some time out with two of the supermarket’s volunteers to hear about their experiences.
Conor Meehan has been volunteering with Apex Community Supermarket since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Here he talks about the value and impact of the service and his experience as a new volunteer during this challenging period.
I have always wanted to explore volunteering but for one reason or another have not been able to devote the time and resource to it.
In the last three months the world around us has changed dramatically and for some people this impact has caused unimaginable stress and anxiety. My personal circumstances during the pandemic meant that I was in a position to devote some time to helping out at Apex Community Supermarket.
During the last 12 weeks or so I have found the experience to be both invigorating and sombre but always worthwhile. It has been great to meet the staff and other volunteers and I have been amazed by both the dedication and acts of selflessness that I have witnessed. Most importantly it has been really positive to see the genuine impact that the supermarket has on the lives and well-being of its clients. I hope in the coming months I can continue to help out and spread further the message of support on offer.
Tom O’Kane has been a volunteer with Apex Community Supermarket since March 2018. Here he discusses the enormous benefits his volunteer role has brought him since he retired.
With busy lives, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However since I retired from full time employment I have found the benefits of volunteering to be enormous. Apex Community Supermarket offers vital help to people in need but I have also benefited greatly from my involvement.
It’s been the right match for me. I have made friends and feel connected with the community. Volunteering protects my mental health, reduces stress, combats depression, keeps me mentally stimulated and provides a sense of purpose. Helping out at Apex Community Supermarket certainly gives a new meaning and direction to my life.
Contact Apex Community Supermarket
Apex Living Centre
Springtown Industrial Estate
Derry~Londonderry
BT48 0LY
Phone, text or email using the details below (Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm):
Catherine: 0770 3740 491
Frances: 0784 0048 444
Email: communitysupermarket@apex.org.uk
