This month we’re meeting Eva, one of HIP’s current serving volunteers for the Senior Community Meal and a long-time HIP volunteer across our programs. Eva began volunteering with HIP in 2017, originally participating in Healthy HIP Packs packing parties with her sons. She was then encouraged to try Senior Meal serving shifts by a family member that was involved in the program, and helped with the program consistently until the COVID-19 pandemic. In the earliest stages of the pandemic, Eva was also one of the few volunteers that briefly helped prepare meals in the kitchen while HIP was adjusting its programs and hiring new staff to meet community needs.
Eva recently returned to the Community Center after a pandemic-induced volunteering break, and has quickly become an integral part of the current Senior Meal serving team. She returned to volunteering with HIP because she missed the social aspect of interacting with other volunteers and program participants. “It’s great to see the same people and make those connections in the community and hear their stories,” she explained. Some of her favorite moments volunteering with the Senior Meal program over the years have been during the monthly birthday celebrations, when program participants who recently celebrated a birthday are recognized with some special treats.
Senior Meal staff, volunteers, and diners are all thrilled to have Eva back at the Community Center. Like many of HIP’s volunteers, Eva loves to cook and is an adventurous eater. To her, an added benefit of volunteering with the Senior Meal program is getting inspiration from the meals that she serves. She is also a mother of two and serves on the board of the Seattle Waldorf School. When not busy working in the community, Eva can be found in the mountains or on a lake, enjoying the great outdoors.
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