Cureate: Building Community Through Group Volunteering

A Discussion With Cureate’s Julia Raymond

BEN GROSS: Tell us a little bit about yourself and the company you are representing today.

JULIA RAYMOND: My name is Julia Raymond. I am the Mid-Atlantic Director for Cur​e​ate, a woman owned food tech company​ dedicated to empowering local communities by creating a sustainable and inclusive supply chain.​ We provide technical assistance to small and mid-size food, farm and beverage businesses in Maryland. In addition, we partner with local institutions to help their teams procure local products for their food service programs and events.

BG: There seems to be a lot of common ground between Cureate’s work, and the Maryland Food Bank’s mission of feeding people, strengthening communities, and ending hunger for more Marylanders.

JR: Absolutely. I think the shared themes ​between our orgs are caring​ about ​the local economy​ and caring about food ​which ​means that it is impossible to not be aware of, or care deeply about​,​ food security for the communities that we live in and that surround us.

BG: At the food bank, we believe the best way for more of our neighbors to thrive is by building a more equitable, resilient, accessible food system for all Marylanders.

JR: Yes! In thinking about some of the common threads there, there is ​an ​overall interest in supporting our communities through local action, and in the wake of all that has happened in 2025, ​it makes sense ​that we ​all ​come together with a ​​shared​ mission in mind – to ensure that our fellow Marylanders are also receiving really necessary support and sustenance.

BG: How did the Maryland Food Bank help further that different mission for you?

JR: The Maryland Food Bank feels like a central player in all of this, making it an​​​​ obvious choice for a volunteer, service-oriented event.

BG: Tell us about your experience setting up your volunteer event at the Maryland Food Bank.

JR: Overall, the planning process was great. Gwen (Farrugia, Volunteer Coordinator at the Maryland Food Bank) was a fantastic resource and support system for that coordination process – all we had to do was identify the right date and time! And you have a lot of great resources, including the ​on-line sign-up system, which helped facilitate the overall process.

BG: Most of our volunteer groups feature employees from one company, but the make-up of yours was unique, and may inspire others. Can you describe how the group came together?

JR: Cureate is a small team, but we have a huge network of people who are active members of our ​community and care deeply about Marylanders and ​access to healthy ​food.

BG: Can you share more about that connection between Marylanders and food?

JR: I feel comfortable saying that we see food as a human right, and ​as a mechanism for connection, and well-being. I think that’s why many of us found ourselves in the positions of running food businesses ​and ​supporting local suppliers. We’re all concerned about the state of the world, concerned about our local communities, and somewhat unsure of how or what we can do to show up more for our communities​ right now​. The opportunity to come together over an activity that felt generative and positive just felt right.

BG: Can you tell us more about the individuals in your group?

JR: The group that volunteered in March included: Kevin Atherly, Owner, Kevyin’s Kitchen; Warren Brown, CEO/Founder, Countertop Productions; Watchen Bruce, CEO/President, Baltimore Community Lending; Robin Holmes, Owner, Deddle’s Donuts; Kenya Jenkins, Owner, Lillian’s Southern Box Catering; Lashauna Jones, Owner, Sporty Dog; Kim Rosenbalt, Owner, Nibbles ‘n Bits; and Candy Schibli, CEO/Founder, Southeastern Roastery.

BG: How were you able to manage all of those schedules and agree on a date?

JR: I wish I could say I had a particular skill at scheduling, but it was really the passion of our partners that made it happen.

BG: What was your experience like at the food bank?

JR: Before I tell you about our actual work (which made me break a sweat!) I wanted to thank the food bank for the opportunity to use your Board Room. We were very intentional about wanting to come together and have an hour of time to ​connect and ​fuel ourselves before our shift. We’re service-oriented personalities, and even though we’re in a marathon, sometimes it very much feels like a sprint. So, it was nice to pause, and share a meal together, ​which we sourced through ​one of our vendor partners. I find that in those moments sometimes there are the most incredible types of organic connections that can happen. The focus was on something other than our day to day – it was like showing up for another ​goal​​ that we all really align ​with and focus​​ on something greater than ourselves.

BG: What tasks did your volunteer group tackle during your shift?

JR: We unpacked pallets of frozen food and helped to sort it. It was fun but​​ also exhausting in a really meaningful way. It was really interesting to see how people’s professional skills showed up in the work! We all started delegating roles: ‘you use the box cutters and open up the boxes; you three are the deliverers/transporters, you two create new bins as they fill up, and the rest break down boxes.’ It was a wonderful exercise and illustration ​of what​​ we do best – create systems and efficiency. We really enjoyed the overall process.

BG: How did your experience volunteering at the food bank help further a sense of community amongst your team?

JR: We do have a number of events throughout the year, but being at the food bank was special. I think by focusing on something greater than ourselves and thinking intentionally about the communities that we live in and support, we were able to show up in a way that felt really authentic. There’s a lot of uncertainty in the world right now and just coming together and feeling connected to each other in that moment helps to assuage some of that ambiguity. I hope other groups are able to reap the community-building benefits from the volunteer experience at the Maryland Food Bank.