Connecticut Food Bank Employee Highlight: Linda Manville

There are many people at the Connecticut Food Bank who help to source, package and transport the food that reaches you and the people you serve. In this ongoing feature, we will help you get to know some of the team. This month, we’re chatting with Linda Manville, our Inventory Control Coordinator, who works in Operations in our warehouse.

What do you do at the Connecticut Food Bank? How does your position fit into the Food Bank system?

I’m the Inventory Control Coordinator here at the Connecticut Food Bank. I keep an eye on everything the Operations team does, from receiving donations from food drives, to making sure pallets are tracked as they move around in our warehouse, to transferring pallets to our Fairfield warehouse so that everyone has access to healthy food choices.

What is your favorite part about your job?

My favorite part of my job is when I’m able to solve an inventory problem in a way that allows us to deliver more food to our agencies and partners. I don’t like when technical details arise, so anything I can do to trace a problem to its source and fix it makes me feel great.

What is the biggest (logistical) challenge you face in your position?

The biggest challenge I face is trying to balance our daily schedule of moving food out to agencies with business practices that need our inventory to stay still. Our whole team knows that there are hungry individuals relying upon us to get the food out to the public, so whenever we have to shut down early we try to move as fast and as accurately as possible so we can get back up and running as soon as possible.

What would you want people to know about your position?

My position is very much in the background operations of the Connecticut Food Bank. So while you may not directly see me out at events or sending emails, I’m working behind the scenes with all those folks you do know and hear from to find the best way to get food out our doors.

Why is food insecurity important to you?

Food insecurity is important because being hungry affects so many different areas of an individual’s life. For children, it’s harder to get a full night’s rest or focus in school when they are dealing with hunger. For adults, it’s easier to make mistakes or get into accidents at work when they are dealing with hunger. If we can reduce hunger in Connecticut, we can improve so many lives in multiple different ways.

What is your favorite recipe to make and/or eat? Feel free to share a recipe!

My favorite recipe is Cottage Pie! Sometimes also called Shepherd’s Pie, it is a delicious and filling mix of ground beef, vegetables like carrots, peas, green beans and delicious mashed potatoes. You can see a recipe here: https://www.mccormick.com/recipes/main-dishes/shepherds-pie