Q&A with Dave Cool, Agency Relations Coordinator
Dave has worked at Second Harvest for more than ten years, starting out on our warehouse crew. When he’s not on the job, he enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, and coaching his daughter’s softball team. We caught up with him for a Q&A about his role in the agency.
Q: What does your job entail?
A: As agency relations coordinator, my main job is to see that each of our 200 nonprofit member agencies are trained and follow the rules and regulations set by the U.S. and PA departments of agriculture, Feeding America, and Second Harvest Food Bank. I also handle the bidding, purchasing, and financial flow of our several food purchasing programs here. I am able to help our member agencies stretch their dollars and purchase more food for their pantries while spending less, ensuring they can serve more families.
Q: What’s your favorite part of your job?
A: Knowing that I have a chance to help those who struggle with hunger.
Q: How would you describe the volunteers and pantry coordinators with whom you work?
A: They are vital to our mission! Without their dedication, we wouldn’t be able to serve our neighbors in need across our six-county service area. We have 200 member agencies and most are run solely by individuals volunteering their time to serve their community!
Q: What’s something that you think people struggle to understand about poverty and hunger?
A: The majority of the people going to pantries are our neighbors and they are working multiple jobs to try to make ends meet.