Did you know that many of the people who visit food banks also serve as volunteers? Judy, 70, comes out regularly to Salvation Army Capitol Hill to do just that. When we last spoke with her, she was helping assemble spice packets for pantry clients. As she sorted and categorized, she shared a bit about her background.
For years, Judy ran a custom sewing business. It brought in enough income to put her daughter through school, but the downside was that it didn’t leave her much for retirement. When she stopped sewing full time, she became completely reliant on a fixed income that was much less than she was used to.
It was about three years ago when Judy first started coming to the Salvation Army pantry to volunteer. She admits her initial visit wasn’t by choice. She’d recently received a traffic ticket she couldn’t afford to pay, so the judge assigned her community service. She enjoyed working there so much that she began coming out every Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.
Luckily, Judy can also pick up food when she volunteers, which she said she started doing almost immediately after she began her term of service. She said her favorite items are the prepared salads and shelf-stable goods.
“I don’t think I could get through the month without the help from the food bank,” said Judy, with gratitude for your gifts to Food Lifeline that make it possible.
For Judy, being both a provider and recipient of food assistance has been extremely eye-opening. She said each visit is a reminder of the growing hunger problem facing many Western Washingtonians.
“We really appreciate the food we get!” added Judy, speaking on behalf of the whole community served by Salvation Army Capitol Hill.
