Volunteer Spotlight: Cathy Bahn
For Cathy Bahn, food has always been an expression of connection and care. That belief has inspired more than nine years of volunteering with Food Lifeline, where she has found countless ways to build relationships and support her neighbors. From Sort and Repack to Agency Relations and community outreach, Cathy loves seeing firsthand how every role contributes to Food Lifeline’s mission. Volunteering is a way for her to carry forward her mother’s values by supporting and nourishing her community.
Cathy describes herself as a “whole systems person” and loves seeing how all the parts of our food-distribution system work together. She volunteers two to three times a week, usually once with the production team and once or twice with the Agency Relations Team, which she loves because she gets to meet the agencies when they pick up food. Over the years, she has volunteered in a wide variety of roles, from a driver ride along that stated at 3 am to deliver food and meal kits during Thanksgiving, to addressing Christmas cards to donors. She recently joined our new Community Ambassador Program, and tabled at the Nordstrom Block Party, sharing Food Lifeline’s work and mission with the community at the event.
“For me, it’s always fulfilling,” she says. “The production team was always good about saying how many pounds of food we handled, how soon it would go out the door, and what kind of impact it would have. Understanding that immediate impact is incredibly satisfying. Everyone works so hard here and cares so much about their piece of what they’re doing. I love that feeling of being part of that spirit.”
The relationships she’s formed with others, knowing they share this same overarching mission, are deeply meaningful to her, from the other volunteers, to the staff, to the partner food bank staff and volunteers.
“Everyone I’ve met here is just awesome… Everyone I’ve encountered here – I appreciate the common mission and that drive and spirit to go after it.”
Growing up, Cathy watched her mother quietly slip extra food to customers at the family’s small Chicago market and make gyoza for neighbors. That same spirit of care now guides her own service and has deepened her belief that we should always be looking out for one another.
“It’s really special when you can see someone needs something without that person having to say exactly what they need.”
She said that it’s not always obvious who may be experiencing hunger, and it’s important to have a mindfulness as we travel through life of what others may be going through and what they may need.
“Your neighbor could really need help, but you wouldn’t necessarily know. I wish it wasn’t seen as shameful or embarrassing, because it’s crazy out there. During COVID, I had an elder neighbor who had a hard time moving about, and I did her grocery shopping. It’s about having that quiet awareness. That’s definitely something I picked up from my mom—wanting everyone to feel comfortable, unembarrassed, and not ashamed to get extra, ask for help, or know where to get it.”
Her commitment to caring for her community carries beyond Food Lifeline. During COVID, she helped distribute food in the parking lot of North Seattle College, and inn 2020, she worked for the Census Bureau doing door-to-door enumeration. She said that even within a five-mile radius of where she lives she discovered neighbors she didn’t know.
“I discovered neighbors I didn’t know. I appreciate having that awareness and knowing how to meet people where they are.”
Having grown up in an immigrant community, she is happy to see more culturally relevant food going out to communities – foods that reflect the many different cultures in our region.
“There are more ethnically relevant foods—tortillas, rice and beans, these staples. It also helps you understand the wide diversity across Western Washington.”
And she appreciates the diversity of the staff, who have connections to these communities.
“It’s truly cool and beautiful. You can tell Food Lifeline is hiring people who are part of the community.”
Knowing the collective impact of the Food Lifeline community and partners makes her hopeful. She likes knowing that the organization is raising awareness about food insecurity, and inviting others people to help work on solutions.
“It makes me feel so good that this organization helps make others more aware.”
Cathy believes food is so much more than nourishment – it’s how we connect, celebrate, and remember. Ensuring everyone has the food they need is not simply a cause she supports; it is a value she lives every day.
“Food is such a foundational and basic thing. Because of my mom and how we grew up, it’s how we came together. It’s how people come together.”