Volunteer Spotlight – Linda Walton

Linda has been a Store to Door Volunteer since 2015. She has logged just over 400 Volunteer Hours as a volunteer order taker and shopper!

Q: Which volunteer roles have you filled at Store to Door, which is your favorite, and why?
A: I have primarily been an order taker since 2015. I enjoy talking with the clients each week and really look forward to it. I enjoy order taking the most because it really allows you to connect with the clients in helping them with their order and just asking them about their day; see how they’re doing. You really feel like you begin to know the clients even though you’ve never met them. More recently, I have been doing more grocery shopping. I enjoy this too. I like the challenge of finding grocery items that I don’t normally shop for myself. It can be a real scavenger hunt sometimes. It’s also a great way to get your walking steps in!

Q: What are you looking forward to most as restrictions are lifted in our community?
A: I think I am looking forward most to being able to see my family and friends unrestricted. I haven’t seen my Mom at all during this time as she is in Assisted Living. I can’t wait to visit her when it’s allowed.

Q: What would you tell someone who is thinking of volunteering with Store to Door?
A: I would tell them go for it! I love volunteering for Store to Door! It is such a highly needed service in the senior and those with disabilities community. I can’t tell you how many times a client has told me how much they appreciate Store to Door and that they don’t know what they’d do without this service. Store to Door is so organized and has a great staff. As a volunteer I feel that I always get the support I need. The staff make it so easy to volunteer. I also like the variety of jobs you can do; order taking, grocery shopping and delivery driving. I haven’t delivered yet but maybe someday I will.

Thank you so much to Linda for chatting with us, and for her wonderful commitment to supporting our homebound clients!

Bank of America funds homebound grocery deliveries

Earlier this month, Bank of America Foundation chose Store to Door as a grant recipient as a part of their community response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a program that delivers groceries to vulnerable members of our community, our work is critical to help “flatten the curve” of the COVID-19 pandemic, and help our clients access vital nourishment as safely as possible during this difficult time.

This support will help Store to Door meet the increased need for services that serve homebound seniors and adults with disabilities. With Bank of America’s support, we have already been able to add an additional checkout lane at our Beaverton Fred Meyer shopping location, allowing us to deliver to even more clients out of that store!

Volunteer Spotlight – Michael Siegel

You are a relatively new Volunteer with Store to Door and have Volunteered for 3 different roles, which one is your favorite and why?

I really enjoy the weekly follow up calls, where we check in with the Store to Door clients. I have a set list of people I’ve been calling every Friday. After doing this for about 5-6 weeks, I’ve kind of gotten to know the people we’re doing this for. It’s pretty gratifying.
But I also like the actual shopping. I work both Fred Meyer locations. Each shopping list is kind of like a treasure hunt.

During this time of “Stay Home Stay Safe”, what are you binge watching on TV? Do you have a book recommendation(s)?

I’m not much of a binge watcher. My attention span is too short! We do watch movies on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
A few books I’ve really loved are-
1) “Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts
2) “The Yiddish Policeman’s Union” by Michael Chabon
3) the “Expanse” series of books by James S. A. Corey.
The Amazon prime adaptation was good, but the books (all 8 of them) were better. Great sci-fi writing.

Name 5 movies can you watch over and over again?

1) Princess Bride
2) Serenity (Joss Whedon)
3) Casablanca
4) Pulp Fiction
5) The Usual Suspects

When you have 30 minutes of free time, how do you pass the time?

Pull out my iPad and read an ebook.

If you were getting onto a plane right now for a vacation destination, where would you be flying?

Sigh. My wife and I were supposed to be finishing up a two week circuit through the national parks of the Southwest right about now. The Grand Canyon, Zion, Moab, Escalante, Mesa Verde. I’ve never been to those parks. Maybe next year!
I’ve got a two week trip to to France that’s still on the books for late September. That’s really unlikely now.

Multnomah County features Store to Door in Community Video

This week, Store to Door was featured in a video from Multnomah County about the important work we can all be doing to support our friends and neighbors, while maintaining safe practices!

Join us in our work!

Volunteer Today!

Home Instead of Portland sponsors day of delivery costs

On February 26th, Home Instead Senior Care PDX sponsored deliveries to 109 local homebound seniors and people with disabilities through Store to Door’s Support-A-Day program.

Along with the sponsorship, an energetic team of Home Instead employees volunteered to grocery shop for Store to Door clients at our Beaverton Fred Meyer location.

Serving Portland and Beaverton, Home Instead Senior Care PDX works to enhance the lives of aging adults and their families with caregiving and support services designed to enable seniors to age comfortably and safely in their own homes.

For more information about Store to Door Support-A partnership program, visit our Corporate Sponsorship page!

Store to Door Welcomes Mark Fulop as New Executive Director

Store to Door is pleased to announce that Mark Fulop has been named as the organization’s new Executive Director effective December 16^th, 2019. Mark joins Store to Door with a wealth of senior management experience—having served in nonprofits, county health departments, and academic universities. His career has focused on supporting community-based health and social programs.

For the last decade, Mark has been a consultant to nonprofit, government, and philanthropic organizations. He helped dozens of Portland organizations create effective boards, develop strategic plans, and strengthen programs that serve the community. Mark’s education includes degrees in Public Health and Educational Technology.

“Mark is a strategic thinker and empowering leader who brings with him extensive experience in the nonprofit community and a rare combination of expertise in public health and technology,” says Store to Door Board President Mike Beaty. “We are excited to welcome him into our family.”

In addition to his extensive professional experience, Mark has served as a volunteer Board Member with several different organizations, including Reading Results, Community Music Center, and Resolutions Northwest. Mark volunteered with Social Venture Partners Portland and, with his two children, volunteered for over a year at the PACS Food Pantry.

“Store to Door builds community by connecting volunteers with seniors and people with disabilities. The program goes beyond delivering groceries and actively promotes the social health, equity, and well-being of those needing support. Store to Door is a unique approach to strengthening the social fabric of our neighborhoods,” Mark says. He continues, “I am honored to build on the legacy of this great organization and to work with the board to support our amazing staff and volunteers as we seek to make an even greater impact in the lives of those we serve.”

Support Store to Door on #GivingTuesday 2019!

Held each year on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, #GivingTuesday affords us an opportunity to celebrate charitable giving, and to begin the holiday season by supporting those causes we feel strongly about. Since its inaugural year in 2012, #GivingTuesday has become a movement that celebrates and supports giving and philanthropy with events throughout the year and a growing catalog of resources.

We hope you will remember Store to Door this #GivingTuesday, and help us continue our work delivering nourishment, connection, and dignity to homebound seniors and people with disabilities here in the Portland area.

“I was going to the store about 6 weeks in between. Now, I can eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day.”
– Store to Door Client

Volunteer Spotlight: Leigh Thalhimer

For the month of November, we’re putting the spotlight on long-time volunteer, Leigh! We asked Leigh about her involvement with Store to Door, her holiday traditions, and the multiple ways in which she gets involved serving her community!

Q. How long have you been volunteering with Store to Door and what do you help us with?

A. I have been volunteering with Store to Door for several years. I help shop at the Beaverton Fred Meyer and make calls for shopping orders.

Q. Which volunteer role with us is your favorite and why?

A. I love calling my clients. Since it is the same group every week, we have gotten to know each other well. Many look forward to my call, not only to take their order, but also to talk with a friend. They are so appreciative of our organization and the care shown to them from all of us -the callers, shoppers, delivery drivers, and the administrative office staff.

Q. You frequently bring along a furry friend while volunteering – tell us about your pup!

A. I am a puppy raiser for Guide Dogs for the Blind and have my pup with me at the office and while shopping. As a puppy raiser, I work with the pups from 9 weeks until 14-16 months when they return to the Guide Dog campus for their 3 + months of formal training. I used to bring Tahiti, a black lab brindle, who is now a working guide. She’s back in Portland and her handler is on my call list. I am currently raising Haviland, a yellow lab, who has become a regular at the office and shopping with me at Fred Meyer.

Q. Any challenges to volunteering while also training?

A. I love this organization and enjoy my volunteer jobs with Store to Door. They are also great working opportunities for my guide pups in training. The dogs are exposed weekly to office settings in a busy room with lots of people and several hours at Fred Meyer shopping, checking carts, and doing the belt line check out.

Q. The holidays are approaching, what’s your favorite family holiday tradition and why?

A. When my sons were young, we started doing ‘holiday adoptions’ for families at Albina Head Start. My boys are now 21 and 24 and they still go with me to deliver our gifts to the families.

Q. Does you pup get spoiled during the holidays? What’s a special treat your dog gets?

A. We have a lot of guidelines to follow to prepare our pups for their formal guide dog training, but they have lots of time off at home to play, get lots of snuggles, and just be “dogs.” Their treats are tug toys to play with me or my pet dog, and always a new bone for Christmas.

Advantis Credit Union Sponsors Day of Deliveries to Homebound Seniors

On October 30th, 2019 Advantis Credit Union sponsored grocery deliveries to 133 homebound seniors and people with disabilities through Store to Door’s Support-A-Day program!

In addition to their sponsorship, a lively team of Advantis employees volunteered to help shop for Store to Door clients at the Hollywood Fred Meyer location.

Advantis has been a Store to Door partner since 2015 and has been a consistent supporter of our work delivering groceries and friendship to homebound seniors and folks with disabilities. Together, we envision a Portland community in which seniors and people with disabilities are nourished, connected, and able to age with dignity in the setting of their own choosing.

First Annual Store to Door Giving Tree!

We are excited to announce our first annual Store to Door Giving Tree!

Beginning the first week of November we will have trees in our office and each store decorated with gift tags describing a gift for a specific Store to Door client.

Giving Tree gifts will be small—under $20 in value—but will be meaningful items requested by our clients themselves! We cant wait to share some holiday cheer with our clients, and we hope you’ll help us make our inaugural giving tree a roaring success!

Gift tags will be available beginning the week of November 4th in our office and both stores!