Trilio Employees Volunteer at the Red Cross Food Pantry

By Karen Sherrill | October 18, 2018

Volunteerism has become a huge part of our culture at Trilio, and continues to grow more ingrained as we flourish and expand as a company. As we look ahead to 2019, it’s increasingly important for us to plan for success, both as a business and as an organization comprised of people who want to give back.

Consequently, we’ve been reflecting on an opportunity we had this summer to volunteer at the Red Cross Food Pantry in Roxbury (a southern neighborhood of Boston). We spent a sunny, 95-degree August morning at the pantry, where we bagged and distributed food to over 250 local families in need. The line wrapped around the block before the doors even opened at 9 AM.  It was a humbling experience for us to be able to serve our community directly, and to see firsthand the need and disparity within our immediate community. It’s difficult to overstate how rewarding that day was, and I have a sneaking suspicion that we’ll be back again soon.

We’d also like to take a moment to credit the staff at the pantry, including both full-time employees and regular volunteers. Sharon Curry, who oversees the volunteers and staff, is incredibly patient and positive despite having to train 20-30 new recruits each week. She’s got the operation of the facility down to a science, though she somehow still finds time to be on a first-name-basis with many of the clients who visit. Oh, and she’s also just a super fun person to spend a morning with.



However, no team outing is complete without some food and fun. Following our morning of community service, we stopped for lunch at Pastoral — an exceptional artisan pizza kitchen in Fort Point — before our afternoon of team bonding.

With stomachs full of craft beer and delicious pizza, we walked down to the docks to catch a water taxi to East Boston for an oyster-shucking lesson on the docks.



Alexis Cervasio of East Boston Oysters hosted us for an afternoon of oyster shucking on the docks overlooking the Boston skyline. East Boston Oysters has a loyal following within Boston’s foodie scene and is known for its delectable pop-up oyster parties, always hosted in a secret location.

Alexis wasted no time in getting the party started once we arrived. She plopped a bag of 100 local oysters onto the fold-out table she’d set up, provided a simplified anatomical overview for reference, handed us our tools… and we were on our way. New shucking knives in hand, we ate our way through nearly every oyster, tossing our shells into the harbor below while appreciating the breezy scene.






Following the shucking marathon, we stowed our shucking knives and piled back into the boat to return home. The day served as a perfect reminder to appreciate all we have, celebrate the dedicated team we’ve built, and to reinvigorate us as we charge forward as a tech startup in Boston.

To schedule your own team day in Boston, here are the people you need to know:

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