Volunteer Spotlight: Helen and Graham Hague
For this month’s Volunteer Spotlight, we sat down with Helen Hague and Graham Hague, a mother-son super duo who set a personal goal of reaching 100 volunteer hours at Food Lifeline. They hit that goal on March 6, and I was able to sit down with them that day to hear more about their volunteer journey, and how they were motivated by the idea of giving back to their community. We’re grateful to both of them for their commitment to our mission, for all the positive energy they brought to our team every week, and for the very big way they stepped up to support their community.
On Thursday, March 6, Helen Hague and her son, Graham walked into the Hunger Solution Center for the Thursday afternoon volunteer session. This wasn’t any ordinary volunteer session however – they were about to hit their goal of 100 volunteer hours.
Graham initially discovered Food Lifeline in 2021 on a school trip. Their first impression of was that it was much bigger than they had realized, driving home the issue of food insecurity in our region.
Years later, with Graham graduating from University of Washington, and Helen retired, they both decided to volunteer more together, setting a goal of reaching 100 hours.
“I wanted to keep coming back to Food Lifeline because ensuring that everyone has enough good food to eat is such basic foundational way to give back to my fellow human beings.”
-Helen Hague
“And as the introductory video in each volunteer session points out,” added Helen, “We have plenty of food to go around, we just need to ensure that the food gets to those who need it in time.”
Most Tuesdays and Thursdays over the past several months you could find them in the warehouse, supporting Food Lifeline’s mission in a multitude of capacities. Volunteering for so many sessions, they’ve packed and resorted just about everything – from moving potatoes to pulling leaves off a giant load of cabbages.
When asked if they have a favorite volunteer task, Graham immediately replied “Making boxes.” Moving his hands through the air from memory, he showed me their perfected technique for quickly making boxes. They said that they got to a point where they can make quite a few boxes in a single session.
Helen and Graham are deeply motivated by the idea of supporting their community.
“Personally, it just makes me feel good to be able to contribute to society and help those who, through no fault of their own, are in more need than I am at this time,” said Helen.
They like that volunteering provides a way for them to give back, while also building relationships with staff and other volunteers.
“I always get excited to see them in the lobby because they are always eager to help and learn something new,” said Volunteer Repack Coordinator Kennedy Stomps, who worked with Helen and Graham over many sessions during the last several months. “Volunteering at Food Lifeline is a special way for families to spend time together while doing good for the community.”
And, the reciprocal nature of helping others, and knowing others would help you someday if needed, just feels good.
“I don’t think any of us knows when we might need a helping hand, and giving back in such a fundamental way makes me feel optimistic, when some of the news these days makes me feel less so.”
-Helen Hague
Helen and Graham plan to keep volunteering at Food Lifeline. They love the way volunteering provides a way to connect with others and to feel good about helping their community. And, they’ve found it’s a lot of fun.
“Food lifeline is so well run,” said Helen. “And the regular staff is so friendly and helpful, that It’s just a very fun two hours every time we volunteer.”