Sisters Gail McKelvey and Susan Stiglich volunteer every Tuesday and Thursday as part of the Production Corp at Food Lifeline. They manage tasks ranging from creating boxes to sorting and repacking food, and have logged over 895 hours combined, with no signs of slowing down. They value giving back to the community as well as the relationships they’ve formed with staff and fellow volunteers. We’re grateful to Gail and Susan for bringing so much good energy, humor, and fun to our work, and for their ongoing commitment to our mission.
Gail and Susan initially learned about Food Lifeline when one of Gail’s grandsons volunteered as part of his required High School hours. When the pandemic hit and they were looking for a new volunteer opportunity, they decided to come to Food Lifeline.
They were both struck by the need for hunger relief during the pandemic, and welcomed the chance to support their community. “There was a statistic that 40% of people going to food banks had never gone before,” says Susan. “And that could be just about anyone you might know.”
“I feel like I’m doing something positive,” says Gail. “I just like to keep busy I don’t like to stand around.”
There is no typical day for Gail and Susan. They always start the day by checking in with Volunteer Production and asking what is needed. Sometimes that’s filling in for a short-staffed sort and repack session, other times it’s rinsing out bins or making boxes. They said making boxes has become their favorite task, and they have gotten quite fast at it, making as many as 12 pallets of completed boxes in a single shift. They say the work takes on almost a meditative quality, and Gail jokes with the Production Crew that she’s made so many boxes she’s going to put it on her resume.
But their very favorite part of volunteering is the people they meet.
“It’s really nice to spend time with other people and to visit and to learn what they’re doing,” says Gail. “And the staff here is really great. I think one of the things I enjoyed the most was when we were doing repacks and got to work with the Fife High School students.”
“People are very friendly. They’re very willing to teach you what you need to know, and thrilled when you say yes,” she laughs. “They’re just fun to be around. You’re working so hard but you don’t care because it’s so much fun to be around them.”
Gail and Susan encourage others to volunteer at Food Lifeline, because they think it’s a great place to volunteer, and also because of the flexibility. “There are all different kinds of hours to work,” says Susan. “I tell people you don’t have to come during a work day. It fits a lot of different schedules.”
Both sisters value the meaning that comes from supporting others.
“We have to feel useful,” says Susan. “Going on vacations is great, but I need to feel useful and this fulfills that need.”
“It’s a good place to volunteer,” adds Gail. “It gives back the community. It helps people out. It’s a really worthwhile place to volunteer. Truly.”
