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.