Volunteer Spotlight: Jai and Puthenveettil and Suhasini Langohr

Jai has always been interested in the issue of food insecurity, so it was a natural fit. It was also a pleasant surprise that the person who onboarded him at the Newton Food Pantry was Aimee Lambert, our client and volunteer engagement manager. In her former profession as a librarian at the Watertown Public Library, Aimee knew Jai and his daughter Suhasini since she was reading board books in the children’s room.

It was a delight for both Aimee and Jai to reunite at the Newton Food Pantry. Thanks to Jai’s encouragement, 17-year-old Suhasini started volunteering as well. The father-daughter duo are, without a doubt, a highlight for many of our clients and volunteers during their Wednesday afternoon shift.  

“The Wednesday late-afternoon shift is a really big, fun social gathering; it never feels like work to me!” says Jai. “We are tight with our fellow volunteers, the staff, and of course our clients.” 

Jai and Suhasini bring their warm, engaging personalities to their volunteering at the pantry and say they enjoy the cross-generational socializing between clients and volunteers.

Jai loves to stand near the culturally relevant food section of the pantry, where he practices his Spanish skills with Spanish-speaking clients. “It is fun to help translate foods across ethnic boundaries,” he says. “Recently, I convinced an Arabic-speaking client to take a bottle of Russian eggplant paste, as I knew it was very similar to something they use.”

Suhasini says she found it both surprising and heartwarming to realize that students as well as staff from Newton North High School come to the pantry to shop. “They usually recognize me from Newton North and we connect about their jobs and things that are happening at school.”

Beyond their weekly volunteer shift at the Newton Food Pantry, Jai and Suhasini enjoy traveling and shopping together. They share interests in fragrances and design, and always incorporate time to explore both on their travels — along with visits to museums, they say. They will spend some time in London this summer, in celebration of Suhasini’s recent graduation from Newton North High School. 

Now that Jai is retired, he also gives his time and talents to a handful of other nonprofit organizations, including the American Red Cross, the Pine Street Inn, and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Come the fall, the Newton Food Pantry won’t be quite the same on Wednesdays when Suhasini heads off to George Washington University. But we’ll welcome her back with open arms when she visits, and we will continue to be grateful for Jai’s warm presence and leadership.