Volunteer Spotlight: Nayla Saouaf is Spreading the Joy of Giving Back

Why the NTFB Volunteer Kernel shares the gift of service with friends, family and fellow volunteers.

For Nayla Saouaf, giving back is a part of her DNA.

“My parents always taught us that charity begins at home,” she says. “I was born in Lebanon, and we moved because of the war. We know what it’s like to live without.”

After arriving in the U.S., Nayla says her family got involved in putting Christmas baskets together for those in need and she later volunteered to support those experiencing homelessness as part of her church youth group. As an adult, she continued serving those experiencing homelessness and also got involved at her kids’ schools. Then COVID-19 hit.

Nayla says with schools and organizations closed, she soon found herself with few opportunities to give back. She started searching online and came across the North Texas Food Bank, which was still open and serving an unprecedented level of need.

“I found the food bank and I just fell in love,” Nayla says. “It’s everything—the staff, the volunteers, the physical aspect of volunteering. There’s nothing about volunteering here that I don’t like. I just find it very satisfying.”

She completed her first shift in April 2022, and became a Kernel, which is someone who volunteers regularly and leads other volunteers through their shift, later that year.

She now volunteers multiple times each week, typically leading a shift in the Repackaging Room one morning a week and serving in bulk produce sorting two mornings a week.

Her three children are all in college now, but Nayla brings them with her to volunteer whenever they’re home. One of her daughters served as an NTFB junior kernel for two summers, and her other daughter gives back at the food bank near her university when she’s in school.

“It’s something that’s a part of them,” Nayla says, of her kids.

In addition to sharing her passion for North Texas Food Bank with her kids, Nayla also introduces the work to her friends. She and her husband each year host a friendsgiving lunch that starts with a morning volunteer shift at the food bank.

NTFB Volunteer Specialists Riley Mainord and Elizabeth Campo say they’re thankful for Nayla’s commitment to NTFB—both through her own tremendous service and through her willingness to get others involved in volunteering.

“Nayla is wonderful,” Elizabeth says. “She stepped up to serve in the Repack Room, and she often brings her family with her to volunteer.”

Nayla says on the days she volunteers, she can’t imagine starting her mornings any other way.

“It’s easy for most of us to go to the grocery store, but it’s not for others, so just keep that in mind,” she says, explaining that she’s learned so much about food insecurity in North Texas by volunteering. “To give two-and-a-half hours here is very little compared to what it represents for others who need food. I never thought it was so rampant in this area. I’ve learned a lot, and it’s made me want to give more of my time here.”