How Rick and Teresa Denniston Bring Hope to Their Community

For Rick and Teresa Denniston, volunteering isn’t just about handing out food—it’s about restoring dignity, lifting spirits, and reminding people they are never alone. Their work with the Redwood Empire Food Bank has touched thousands, including one woman who never imagined she’d find herself in a food bank line.

A Shared Mission of Giving Back

Rick, a Vietnam veteran, and his wife, Teresa, began volunteering at the Veterans Memorial Building Food Distribution through his local Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter. Many of his fellow veterans had been involved for years, and he was eager to join them—veterans serving veterans. Their shared passion for service soon had them working side by side, ensuring no one left empty-handed.

Veterans make up a significant portion of those experiencing food insecurity. To better support them, the Redwood Empire Food Bank launched Operation End Hunger, a program dedicated to serving veterans and active-duty service members. In 2024 alone, this initiative provided assistance to over 3,000 veterans. Today, two dedicated distribution sites—Windsor Veterans Village and the South Santa Rosa VA Clinic—ensure that those who served receive the nourishment and support they need.

When the Redwood Empire Food Bank opened a distribution at the VA Clinic on Challenger Way, Rick transitioned there to serve military veterans and active-duty service members. The program started small but quickly grew, now serving about 100 families per week. “It’s fun to joke about inter-service rivalries and the differences between younger and older veterans,” Rick says. “But at the heart of it, we’re all here to support each other.”

A Mother’s Breaking Point

The Veterans Memorial Building distribution has also grown into a massive operation, serving 400 to 500 families per shift. Despite long hours in the sun or rain, the volunteers never gave up. “This is the hardest-working group of volunteers I have ever had the pleasure to work with,” Rick says. “Always cheerful, always kind—to the clients and to each other.”

Among those who stepped into the food line was a woman who had reached her breaking point. “I was just laid off,” she later shared. “I have three kids, and my husband is currently in dialysis. When they say to find the silver lining, believe me, I was trying hard.” She spent weeks convincing herself her family wasn’t struggling enough to seek help. But when her children began telling her that dinner wasn’t enough to satisfy their hunger, she knew she had no choice.

A friend told her about the distribution at the Veterans Memorial Building, and with the last bit of gas in her car, she drove there—only to sit in the parking lot, debating whether she could go through with it.

“I contemplated staying in the car so no one could see me. But I realized I didn’t have that luxury—my gas was already running low.”

When she finally stepped into line, shame weighed on her shoulders. She feared judgment. Instead, she found kindness.

“I saw all of these volunteers, smiling, talking to the other people in line as if they were talking to a friend. They weren’t asking questions. They weren’t looking at me like I was gross. Or making fun of me. I had already decided those things would happen, but instead, for the first time in a long time, I was just me—a woman getting groceries to bring home to my family.”

And among those smiling volunteers? Rick and Teresa Denniston.

More Than Just a Meal

Rick and Teresa have seen that look before—the hesitance, the shame, the internal battle people fight just to step into line. That’s why they welcome every person with warmth, talk to the kids, and treat everyone as equals. Because hunger doesn’t define a person.

For them, the food bank represents more than just food—it’s a source of hope. Whether it’s a mother struggling to provide for her children or a veteran finding camaraderie among fellow service members, every moment is a testament to the power of community and the volunteers who show up for one another.

“The gratitude of those we serve is what keeps us going,” Rick shares. “The Redwood Empire Food Bank is an incredible organization, and we’re honored to be part of it.”

For one mother, that gratitude became something even more profound—a reminder that kindness still exists, dignity can be restored, and sometimes, hope arrives in the form of a bag of groceries and the warm smile of a volunteer.