At Feed the Hungry San Miguel, thousands of children receive nutritious meals each school day. Behind every week’s delivery of food to 39 schools and seven partner organizations across our region, there is a network of committed volunteers who ensure a full week’s worth of supplies arrives safely and on time. At the heart of that operation is our Driver Coordinator, Chip Swab.
Chip was first brought to Feed the Hungry San Miguel by Will Brien, who was the Driver Coordinator at that time. Will convinced him to take a route, and once he started, he did not stand on the sidelines. He stepped in.
For two years, Chip served as a volunteer driver. He learned the routes firsthand. He navigated rural roads, early mornings, school schedules, and the beautiful unpredictability that comes with serving communities across San Miguel and its surrounding areas. He did not simply drive; he paid attention. He observed how timing, traffic patterns, kitchen readiness, and school coordination all intersected.
Ten years ago, he stepped into the role of Driver Coordinator. A decade later, the impact of his leadership is felt every single week.
Each week, our drivers deliver an entire week’s worth of food to every school. That means accuracy matters. Quantities must be correct. Routes must be efficient. Timing must align with kitchen capacity and school storage. Under Chip’s coordination, this complex choreography unfolds with remarkable consistency.
“Each weekly delivery represents more than crates of food. It represents children ready to learn,” said Chip.
Chip is fully bilingual, a bridge between our Mexican school communities and our largely international volunteer base. Communication in logistics is everything, and his ability to move seamlessly between English and Spanish strengthens trust, clarity, and teamwork across the board.
He is happily married to the love of his life, Lucy, whom he met in Mexico City more than 50 years ago. That enduring partnership reflects something we see in his service: commitment. Loyalty. Showing up year after year with the same steady dedication.
Chip, from Washington D.C., brings with him a military background, and while he rarely speaks about it, you can see its influence in the precision of our routes and systems. Schedules are clear. Expectations are defined. Contingency plans are thoughtfully prepared. When a driver calls in sick, when a vehicle needs servicing, or when a school has a special request, there is no panic. There is a plan.
His leadership was especially evident during the Covid-19 pandemic. When schools closed and the program quickly adapted to support families directly, Chip personally drove out to every school kitchen and community location we serve. Using Google Maps, he mapped each site and dropped a pin for every destination.
From those efforts, Feed the Hungry created an interactive map that allowed drivers to easily navigate to every location. Volunteers could simply open the map and follow directions with confidence, knowing they were headed to the correct school or community.
This tool proved invaluable. It helped coordinate not only our regular drivers and staff, but also the many volunteers who stepped forward during that difficult time, including teams from the city’s DIF and Cultura y Tradiciones departments. Together, they helped deliver more than 500 food bags each day to families across our community.
But what truly defines Chip is not just structure. It is heart.
He understands that each weekly delivery represents opportunity. Children who can focus in class instead of feeling hunger. Teachers who know their students will have energy to participate. Families who can stretch limited resources just a little further.
Over the past ten years as Coordinator, Chip has helped shape a system that ensures nearly 5,000 children receive reliable nutrition week after week. That reliability is no small thing. For the children we serve, consistency means security. It means knowing that each school day will begin with nourishment.
In many ways, Chip embodies the quiet strength that sustains organizations like Feed the Hungry San Miguel. He does not seek the spotlight. He simply ensures the work gets done, and done well.
We are deeply grateful for his two years behind the wheel and his ten years guiding the fleet. We are grateful for his bilingual leadership, his military-honed logistics expertise, and the steady example he sets for our volunteer community.
Most of all, we are grateful that he chose to say yes. Because every week, when the cars and trucks roll out across San Miguel, there is a steady hand helping guide the way.
Watch a typical morning food delivery.
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