Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Maridee

by hungerintervention | Aug 1, 2024 | Blog, Volunteers | 0 comments

Maridee was our May 2024 volunteer spotlight! She discovered HIP through a friend who had volunteered with us. She has been volunteering with HIP for over ten years! She started out in the kitchen with senior meal prep and attended the meal service occasionally before the Lake City Community Center burned down. Currently, she delivers meals to seniors one day a week. Maridee likes our dedicated staff, volunteers, and an authentic chef who plans the made-from-scratch and nutritious meals.

Maridee has liked volunteering with HIP because it gives her a sense of doing something useful and meaningful. Seattle is an expensive city to live in, so there are so many folks who benefit greatly from HIP’s meals. Maridee has also volunteered outside of HIP — from helping at a baby boutique to reading to preschoolers. Her most memorable moment was the surprise of COVID-19. People of a certain age were told to stay home yet had no idea what was to come.

Maridee is long retired and is able to choose what she wants and how much time she wants to devote. Retirement has been very helpful in allowing Maridee to have time to volunteer. Maridee would recommend volunteering with HIP because “It is such a worthy cause, appreciated by so many in the community. The summer meals for children, senior meals at the church, meal deliveries, shelter meals for the unhoused, and afterschool meals for school children.”

If you would like to join Maridee in volunteering with us, feel free to check our signup genius page for opportunities.

As the first spotlight of the year, we would like to highlight Nick and his immeasurable contribution to our Senior Community Meal program! Nick has helped with check-in for meal service for about 8 years.

Nick found out about HIP through Jerry Berger, one of the founders of HIP, at his local church. What began as a new volunteering experience became a routine part of Nick’s life as a retiree. “Volunteering keeps me busy and is one way for me to socialize.”

As a front-facing volunteer, Nick’s unique position allows him to engage with the people around him as well as observe budding relationships grow. He likes seeing “how seniors grow in their [inter]actions with each other.” and appreciates the camaraderie he sees between HIP staff and volunteers. He also found a physical benefit by getting in some exercise while putting up and taking down tables.

We hope his story will inspire others to volunteer in their communities. In his own words: “Yes I would recommend volunteering at HIP for those that have the time, are looking for a way to help the community, or just need something to do while looking for a job. They could be like me, retired and need to keep busy.”

As a pivotal part of the Senior Meals crew, we are so happy to see Nick’s familiar face every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Thank you Nick for all that you do!