Volunteer Spotlight: Cindy Vicente

Our Volunteer Spotlight this month is Cindy Vicente! Cindy shops with us at Hollywood Fred Meyer, is a member of our LoVE League, and has been volunteering since 2017!

Q: How did you first get involved with Store to Door?
A: I did some volunteering before: PBOT for Sunday Parkways, Peninsula Park Rose Garden, decorated floats for Rose Festival, Christmas projects with Hands on Portland. It was through the latter that I found out about S2D and felt it would be a great project to get involved with when I retired. (While employed I was part of a volunteer non-profit group which provided assistance to employees in need through various fundraisers during the year. Our Christmas baskets was our biggest annual project. We bought food and clothing for the families).

Q: What keeps you busy when you are not volunteering with Store to Door?
A: When I’m not volunteering I try to fit in 3-4 walks during the week. Get outside. It’s great this time of year to see the plants and flowers come to life. I am involved with some walk groups that do 10ks and other walks in different parts of town and beyond. But solo walks are great too. I try to stay socially active with friends.Try to stay mentally active. I enjoy Wordle, Jumble, crosswords. I like to read books on health, etc.

Q: What is something that your fellow volunteers would be surprised to know about you?
A: I grew up on Kauai with 85° most days. I moved to Oregon in 1970 and really enjoy the moderate change of seasons here. I am 70+ and now appreciate cooler days especially for walking. I don’t even mind walking in the Portland rain or during the winter cold.

Q: What would you tell someone who is thinking of volunteering with Store to Door?
A: Being a part of S2D is a way to be involved with a wonderful community project. Knowing you are doing a good deed for others is great food for the soul. (And, for me, getting some extra steps in at the same time!)

Volunteer Appreciation!

Happy National Volunteer Week!

As a volunteer-based organization since 1989, Store to Door’s work is made directly possible by the involvement of all of our volunteers. In 2022, more than 1,200 volunteers gave nearly 22,000 hours of their time as grocery shoppers, delivery drivers, friendly callers, and more.

Our vision of a Portland community in which all people are able to age safely in the setting of their own choosing is only possible with the support of our wonderful volunteers each and every week.

THANK YOU!

Interested in volunteering with Store to Door? Visit our volunteer portal get involved sustaining homebound seniors and adults living with disabilities today!

Volunteer Spotlight: Carol Eggerss

This month, we caught up with Carol Eggerss, who has volunteered nearly 100 hours since connecting with Store to Door—and who volunteered for years at a similar organization also called Store to Door in Minnesota!

Q: How did you first get involved with Store to Door?
A: When I retired in Minnesota in 2012, I became aware of Store to Door (now Help at Your Door) in Mpls/St Paul. I signed up as an order taker, trained and volunteered with them weekly for 9 years. Several months before my husband and I moved to Portland in 2021, we were visiting our daughter here and saw a Store to Door van in a Fred Meyer parking lot. I researched online and decided that I wanted to join this team when we got settled. I’m still not sure if there is any connection between the two organizations, but I wanted to support our new community and it seemed like that van and I crossed paths for a reason.

Q: What keeps you busy when you are not volunteering with Store to Door?
A: Food keeps me busy. LOL I especially love to bake, but really all things food are interesting. I read for cooking inspiration, plan meals, cook dinner more often than not (my husband is great at cleaning up my messes), bake for friends and family and enjoy exploring some of the great food in Portland. Sammy is our 7-year old Chihuahua who enjoys at least one long walk and several short breaks each day and is a great road-tripper. We also enjoy traveling as much as time allows.

Q: What is something that your fellow volunteers would be surprised to know about you?
A: As a teenager in small town southwest Iowa, my summer job was walking through acres of soybean fields with a curved corn knife (machete) to remove very large weeds, sunflowers and cornstalks so the harvest would be “clean”. (Note: This was years before genetic modification changed agricultural practices.) The crew started at 5 a.m. and finished before the sun was too intense. This left the afternoon open to hang out with friends at the public pool. And the pay was great…$1.25/hour! ;D

Q: What would you tell someone who is thinking of volunteering with Store to Door?
A: Do it! I love the order-taking role because it’s interesting to chat with the clients and I’m comfortable using the online ordering system. Others may enjoy a different role, but together, the entire organization is fulfilling a remarkable service for wonderful people who otherwise may not be able to live independently. I can’t tell you how many of my clients express their appreciation every single week. Volunteering with Store to Door brings me joy.

Volunteer Spotlight: David Bell

This month, we caught up with Volunteer Delivery Driver David Bell! David has been a longtime driver out of our Beaverton location, and has given more than 280 hours of time since connecting with Store to Door in 2020!

Q: How did you first get involved with S2D?
A: I was looking for a way to become involved in my community and to use the 40 hours a year that my employer gives every employee. I found a listing in volunteerhub for delivery drivers for store to door and I thought it would be fun to do and get me out of my downtown office each week for a few hours. What I found is that I really enjoyed seeing and checking in with my delivery clients each week.

Q: What keeps you busy when you are not volunteering with Store to Door?
A: Staying busy outside of delivering is not a problem. I work for a wealth management and trust company downtown as the director of operations. Something different every day. I have two daughters who I love spending time with. Also two big dogs who make sure I have plenty to clean around the house everyday.

I enjoy home improvement projects, traveling, gardening and entertaining. There is also my obsession with Costco.

Q: What is something that your fellow volunteers would be surprised to know about you?
A: I recently bought a 1969 Buick Riviera that I am working on.. my goal is to take it for a nice summer road trip down the Oregon coast.

Q: What would you tell someone who is thinking of volunteering with Store to Door?
A: If someone is thinking about volunteering – I encourage them to take the leap. You’ll love the connections and clients and fellow volunteers. Even if you’ve got a few hours a month to give .. it will help and make an impact.

Volunteer Spotlight: Ann McGranahan

This month, we caught up with Ann McGranahan, who has volunteered for more than 110 hours since 2020 as a Volunteer Shopper and Checker at our Hollywood Fred Meyer shopping location!

Q: How did you first get involved with S2D?

A: I retired from State Department of Human Services the first of July 2020. I wanted to find volunteer opportunities that would help out in the community so I looked up Hands On Greater Portland and found Store to Door.

Q: What keeps you busy when you are not volunteering with S2d? (job, school, hobby, family, pets)

A: I like being busy so I am a volunteer staff member at my church – I work on Vulnerable Children activities. I help coordinate our Foster Parents’ Night Out, I work with Every Child Oregon on getting items for foster children and also helped organize decorating some of the visitation rooms at the new Gresham DHS office.

I also volunteer with Catalyst Partnerships that helps low income seniors and disabled stay in their homes by providing needed repairs at no cost to them.

Q: What is something that your fellow volunteers would be surprised to know about you?

A: My husband and I love to travel and are hoping to visit all of the 63 National Parks. Currently at 27 of them.

Q: What would you tell someone who is thinking of volunteering with Store to Door?

A: It is a very worthwhile volunteer activity. First, there is the fun of the treasure hunt in finding the requested items – some I have never heard of or seen. Then there is the connection with the people who are requesting – it is an honor to help them get groceries/items they need and provide a bit of connection!

Volunteer Spotlight: Kris Lloyd

This month, we caught up with Store to Door Volunteer Kris Lloyd. who is a volunteer extraordinaire at Beaverton! As a volunteer shopper, checker, order-taker, and on-call Friendly Caller, Kris has given more than 185 hours since connecting with Store to Door in 2021.

Q: How did you first get involved with Store to Door?

A: I heard about Store To Door through a volunteer website as I was looking for meaningful things to do after I retired from corporate life.

Q: What keeps you busy when you are not volunteering with Store to Door?

A: I also volunteer with an organization called Care Partners which provides hospice support to people in the local area. Additionally, I have fallen in love with Pilates and do that 3 to 4 times a week. I have one incredible adult daughter and two feline babies that mean the world to me.

Q: What is something that your fellow volunteers would be surprised to know about you?

A: They might be surprised that I was born and raised in Portland and have truly never lived anywhere else. In fact, my mother, myself and my daughter were all born at Good Samaritan hospital.

Q: What would you tell someone who is thinking of volunteering with Store to Door?

A: I would say do it! It’s a great organization with super people and you get more out of it then you put into it.

Volunteer Spotlight: Sherri Eliason

This month, we chatted with Store to Door Volunteer Sherri Eliason! Since starting as an Order-Taker, Sherri has joined our Free Food Box Program as a delivery driver, and has given nearly 150 hours of volunteer time since 2020!

Q: How did you first get involved with Store to Door?
A: I first got involved with Store to Door because I wanted a volunteer opportunity where I could serve the community and make a real difference in people’s lives. When I heard about the different volunteer opportunities at Store to Door I was really excited. I am recently retired after working as a hairdresser for 40 years and was looking for a way to contribute to the community.

Q: What might other volunteers and clients be surprised to learn about you?
A: Something that volunteers and clients might be surprised to learn about me is that my daughter is Cassie Sorensen, Program Director for Store to Door!

Q: How have you volunteered with us, and how does volunteering with Store to Door fit into your life?
A: I began as an Order Taker and did that role for about 6 months. Then I found out about the Food Box Program and I knew that was what I wanted to do! I became a Delivery Driver for the Food Box and started as on-call. But I enjoyed it so much that now I have a route every Friday! I enjoyed the Food Box deliveries so much I decided to also volunteer as an on-call Driver for the Grocery Delivery Program!

Having a route on Fridays and being on-call Wednesday and Thursday fits my schedule well as I am caretaker for my adult daughter, Heather, who has Downs Syndrome. Heather and I are blessed to have my wonderful husband, Doug, in our lives and he is a great step-dad to both Heather and Cassie. My family are my heroes and they help me stay grounded, engaged, and excited about life and my work.

Q: What would you tell someone who is thinking of volunteering with Store to Door
A: If someone is thinking about volunteering with Store to Door I would whole heartedly recommend it! The staff is amazing, helpful, and thank me every time I see them. What they don’t realize is how much I love the clients and look forward to having my routes each week! This has been a wonderful experience with a wonderful agency. I always come back home uplifted and happier than when I left.

Volunteer Spotlight: Angela Montz

This month’s wonderful volunteer spotlight is Volunteer Shopper and Checker Angela Montz! Since connecting with Store to Door in 2021, Angela has given more than 110 hours volunteering at our Beaverton Fred Meyer shopping location!

Q: How did you first get involved with Store to Door?
A: During the pandemic, all of my family was working and schooling from home. I love them dearly, but I needed a little space! Helping at Fred Meyer was fun, convenient, and relatively safe at a time when so many places were shut down. It was also something actively positive to do amidst all of the uncertainty. I initially signed up for a month of shifts, enjoyed it, and have been a regular for 18 months.

Q: What keeps you busy when you are not volunteering with Store to Door?
A: I volunteer at my kids’ school, and also enjoy gardening, puzzles, genealogy, and socializing with friends.

Q: What is something that your fellow volunteers would be surprised to know about you?
A: I have a bit of an adventurous streak! I have been skydiving, bungee jumping, paraplaneing, parasailing, and zip lining.

Q: What would you tell someone who is thinking of volunteering with Store to Door?
A: It’s so easy to get started and you have nothing to lose by trying it out! From order-taking, to shopping, to deliveries, there are many opportunities to contribute with varying levels of time commitment.

Volunteer Spotlight: Dawn Trimble

This month, we chatted with longtime shopper and checker Dawn Trimble! A regular volunteer at our Hollywood Fred Meyer shopping location, Dawn has given more than 470 hours since connecting with Store to Door in 2017—and who knew that we had a movie star in our midst!

Q: How did you first get involved with Store to Door?

A: A friend of mine volunteered with Store to Door and told me how much she enjoyed her weekly shopping shift. At the time I was still working so I mentally filed the information away. After I retired, I was looking for something to get me out of the house that could be helpful in the community. I checked out Store to Door’s website and signed up for an introductory shopping shift. I’ve been volunteering nearly every week since.

Q: What keeps you busy when you are not volunteering with Store to Door?

A: My husband and I have three grandsons here in Portland and we see them as often as we can. Pre-Covid we were volunteers with the SMART reading program at Creston Elementary School. We hope to get back to that soon. We also enjoy staying physically active. Covid has curtailed some of our activities, but we still get out for an hour walk everyday, rain or shine! I’m a big reader and always have at least one book going.

Q: What is something that your fellow volunteers would be surprised to know about you?

A: I appeared in a locally filmed movie as a prop! My niece was a producer on the film, and they needed someone to appear in a photo as the mother of the lead male actor (Chris Klein) for a law school graduation picture. Even though I was just a prop for the opening scene, I was given a listing in the credits.

Q: What would you tell someone who is thinking of volunteering with Store to Door?

A: DO IT!! It is an incredibly easy and satisfying way to help members of our community maintain their independence and connection to the wider world. Most of us shop routinely, so it’s not a difficult task to take on. It even turns into a bit of a scavenger hunt at times. If you don’t like to shop, there are several other ways to participate. As volunteers, we also get to meet others who share the desire to help. It’s important to give where we can.

Volunteer Spotlight – Joni Matthews

This month, we are excited to highlight Store to Door Volunteer Joni Matthews. Since connecting with Store to Door in 2021, Joni has given nearly 250 hours of volunteer time as a Friendly Caller and Order Taker!

Q. How did you first connect with Store to Door?
A. I first got involved with Store to Door from a very good friend of mine, Carolyn. She told me it would be one day a week making calls for about 2 hours. Now I’m volunteering 2 days a week order taking and [volunteering as] a friendly caller on Friday.

Q: What do you like to do when you are not volunteering?
A: When I’m not volunteering I make crafts for my little business, travel and most of all visiting with my 6 month old grandson, Luke.

Q: What would your fellow volunteers be surprised to learn about you?
A: I think my fellow volunteers would be surprised to know that on my bucket list I plan on skydiving. I’ve already ziplined and it was amazing. My wheelchair is just my legs, not a roadblock.

Q: How would you describe Store to Door to someone who hasn’t heard of us?
A: If someone was thinking about volunteering with S2D, I would tell them that it will be a very fulfilling opportunity for them to get to know the older community, those who are homebound & you can do it from home. I remember one time a client called me “honey” and my heart just melted.

Thank you to Joni for taking the time to chat with us, and for all that she does for our homebound clients!