Volunteer Spotlight: Ian Babbitt
For nearly two decades, Ian Babbitt has made volunteering at Food Lifeline part of his weekly routine. Since his first shift in 2007, his regular Wednesday sessions have offered camaraderie, a strong sense of purpose, and a meaningful way to give back. For Ian, volunteering is “its own gift,” an opportunity to connect with others while making a positive impact in his community.
Ian first volunteered with Food Lifeline as part of a company holiday event and says he “was hooked right away.” His parents modeled volunteering, and he sees giving back as an important responsibility. His volunteer commitment makes him feel connected to the community and gives him a positive, concrete way to help others.
“I liked the sense of camaraderie and giving to the community. There’s a lot of food insecurity in Western Washington, and I like being able to help with that.”
His Wednesday session has become part of his weekly rhythm. The physical, focused work helps clear his mind after stressful days and takes on an almost meditative quality. He loves the surprise element of what each shift will bring, not knowing if he’ll be sorting apples, or rice, or potatoes. As a longtime volunteer he gets pulled into more specialized projects, like recycling, compost, box building, and palletizing. Using the pallet jack and operating the cardboard baler are his favorite tasks. The variety keeps the work interesting, while the final pounds-packed announcement provides a satisfying measure of collective impact.
“I love it at the end when they announce how many pounds we packed. I always look forward to that. You leave with a sense of accomplishment because you’re helping the community, and sometimes it’s an amazing amount, thousands of pounds.”
He enjoys the sense of fun and solidarity he gets connecting with fellow volunteers and the volunteer staff.
“They’re enthusiastic, they’re really good at what they do, and they make it fun. They’re good at organizing and getting as much packed as possible while also creating a sense of fun and accomplishment.”
He also helps out with Stamp Out Hunger, the annual nationwide food drive put on by the postal workers’ union, and one of his favorite memories is filling two entire tractor trailers with non-perishable food at the Westwood Post Office.
He wishes more people understood the prevalence of food insecurity, and how often it goes unseen. “Many people can be right on that line where they need help sometimes and don’t at other times. People can be in a precarious position where the paychecks stop, and they may be only two or three paychecks away from not being able to pay the rent or having to choose between food and bills. There’s a lot of that in the community, and it’s invisible to many people. I think that’s important for people to know.”
He’s hopeful for a future with more compassion. Volunteering is a way for him to express that hope through action.
“I think Food Lifeline is really important to the community. It may sound corny, but when there’s a lot of ugliness and darkness in the world, this is a little beacon of light—people helping others in the community. There’s a saying: ‘It’s better to light one candle than curse the darkness.’ That’s how I feel about Food Lifeline. It’s something positive I can do in the community when there’s a lot of bad stuff going on.”