Carol Jeffrey-Smith has been a volunteer with PFS since 2016 and has been involved in six volunteer activities. She also serves as a PFS champion and is a valuable part of the Hershey-PFS partnership.

PFS: Please tell us more about yourself.

CJS: I have worked in Information Services at Hershey for nine years in both Canada & the US. I have been a long-time volunteer at PFS, mostly as a Client Lead. I enjoy bringing together volunteers and clients to complete specific projects. I have been very fortunate to work with five different clients in this role. I have learned so much from all the fantastic people involved in PFS projects and it has been an amazing experience!

PFS: What is your main motivation for volunteering with PFS?

CJS: My main motivation for volunteering with PFS is the opportunity to meet new people, learn from other volunteers and watch the clients grow through this experience.

PFS: You’ve taken on several Client Lead roles throughout the years, what’s your favorite part about being a Client Lead?

CJS: The client’s energy and dedication to growing their business while managing a busy operation. It is a real privilege to share in the client’s journey. I am currently the Client Lead for Assisi Foods in Ghana and their leaders have demonstrated terrific focus and initiative in achieving key goals. They have a clear vision for Assisi Foods and I am delighted at the opportunity to make a small contribution towards their continued success.

PFS: How does it make you feel knowing Hershey has this volunteer opportunity for its employees?

CJS: Proud. As a company, Hershey is committed to supporting volunteer initiatives that create real value and have a tangible impact. I am very happy to be part of an organization that “walks the walk and talks the talk.”

PFS: Please tell us more about yourself.

GF: My name is Gloria Frauenfelder and I am a global procurement finance lead at Hershey. I was born in Kenya and lived there until I was 20 years old. When I married my husband, who is Swiss, I decided to move to Switzerland. I have lived here now for around 25 years and have two children in their early twenties.

PFS: Why did you decide to get involved with PFS?

GF: Being born and raised in Kenya, I have a deep understanding of the struggles many companies there face. It can be very difficult to find the right expertise that would help companies move forward. I got involved with PFS because I think it’s important to share the things I have learned throughout my career with companies who need the additional support. For example, I am currently on a project that is helping a client understand cost structures for their products. By sharing my knowledge in this space, I am helping them increase their capacity and hopefully it’ll lead to their future growth.

PFS: What is your favorite part about volunteering with PFS?

GF: I really like that employees with any level of expertise can have an impact on a project. We all learn from one another, tackle the project from different angles, and bring the best solution to the client through a collaborative approach.

PFS: What would you say to a colleague who may be interested in volunteering with PFS, but is hesitant to start?

GF: I encourage anyone interested in PFS to volunteer! You may think that you can’t help with a project because you’re not an “expert” but, I can assure you, the team environment at PFS really brings out the best of everyone and together you can help the client and expand your own knowledge in the process.

Partners in Food Solutions releases a new white paper documenting how we built our virtual, skills-based volunteering program. Through twelve years of innovation and growth, we have honed our program to bring maximum impact for both our African food company clients and volunteer experts. Read our report to find out more.

Read the White Paper

For the past year, DSM Senior Quality Manager Joan Ji has been helping Taste Cocoa Ghana, a cocoa processor, improve their food safety by helping them prepare for the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certification. She says, “An international certification like GFSI is key for Taste Cocoa Ghana and will allow them to expand into international markets and compete with other industry players.” Joan has worked at DSM for over 17 years and has deep experience in improving quality assurance systems and establishing company culture focused on quality. “I find it meaningful to share my professional knowledge and skills to educate/train others in food safety and quality,” said Joan. “More importantly, this project will leave a lasting impact beyond Taste Cocoa Ghana. Its employees, their families and community will all benefit from an increased local professional capacity. In addition, consumers will have an a new source of safe, high quality ingredients.”

Because of Joan’s support, Taste Cocoa Ghana is closer to achieving their goal of a GFSI certification. As of December 2020, the project is about 85% complete. She has helped review the client’s HACCP manual, prerequisite programs, training offerings, process controls and validation steps. “Having Joan to learn from is a major advantage,” said Rose Mante, quality assurance manager at Taste Cocoa Ghana. “She helps coach us through our challenges and we get to pick her brain on important issues. We’re able to save considerable time and resources by cutting out all the guesswork.”

Taste Cocoa Ghana hopes to have their GFSI certification soon and will continue to establish an effective and practical quality management system.

In her role as a senior quality assurance officer with DSM, Joell Springer spends the majority of her time performing audits. “I am responsible for auditing suppliers of our raw materials, packaging, lab testing services and more. During a normal year, I am traveling every week and conducting upwards of 60 audits a year,” she said. Since COVID-19 started, Joell’s day-to-day has had to change drastically. “Now I am conducting virtual audits about once a month. When Partners in Food Solutions (PFS) approached me with an opportunity to help Juaben Oil Mills improve their quality management system, I thought it would be a great way for me to spend my extra time and help others while doing what I love.”

Juaben Oil Mills, a palm oil producer in the Ashanti region of Ghana, decided to work toward a food safety certification under the United Nations Industrial Development Organization’s Global Quality and Standards program. “It’s very important to us to have an improved quality management system (QMS) as it helps us coordinate our operations to better satisfy our customers and meet all our regulatory requirements,” said Kwame Adomako, sustainability officer at Juaben Oil Mills. “As part of the palm oil supply chain, we would like to see an improvement in our operations. By partnering with PFS we have access to a great deal of resources and expertise to help us tackle the pressing issues as a growing company in the palm oil industry,” he continued.

To date, Joell and the volunteer team have reviewed Juaben Oil Mill’s existing documentation relating to its quality system. After realizing the documents were not up to standard, the project team helped the client develop a new documentation control and management plan. Based on the plan, over 200 policies and forms have been created and reviewed, and the client keeps developing new procedures for their business. “To us, volunteers from PFS are like staff we never hired, but they contribute just as much to our operations in a very special way,” Kwame said. “Thanks to this partnership, we are on our way to being a significant player in the edible oil processing industry.”