Meet radiant Rise! She’s that lovely lady you see at least three times a week doing just about anything and everything that needs to be done here at Second Helpings. She began volunteering during the 2016 holiday season and in just a year and half has provided over 300 hours of her precious time to furthering the mission of Second Helpings.
Wondering what piqued her interest? Several years ago, she attended an event in which Second Helpings Culinary Job Training students participated. She had just moved to Indy from San Antonio and was unaware of Second Helpings. The Culinary Job Training chef explained our mission and she was immediately sold on the idea. She wasn’t quite in the position to volunteer at that point in time, but about a year and a half later we were privileged to have her join our volunteer family.
You can typically find Rise on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons doing anything from wrapping pans to delivering hunger relief meals. She also helps in a variety of ways with our special events! You know someone’s truly dedicated when they volunteer to assist with the Zero Waste initiative at Corks and Forks in their fancy cocktail attire. Sorting waste has never looked so glamorous.
When asked what she likes best about volunteering at Second Helpings she says, “I thoroughly enjoy working alongside the staff and all the other volunteers in both the Hunger Relief Kitchen and on the Meal Delivery Team. In the kitchen, you really learn to appreciate all the talent and hard work that goes into all the meal preparation. When you then have the opportunity to deliver these same meals, you have a chance to learn about some of the Partner Agencies and all the good work that they also do. It’s the best of both worlds.”
Since her retirement from being a Critical Care Nurse, she has enjoyed many journeys abroad to Costa Rica, Australia, New Zealand, and several European countries. In addition to her travels and volunteering at Second Helpings, she is also passionate about the mission of the ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) Association. She volunteers at both the local and national level to support their efforts toward finding a cure for ALS and providing care for those living with the disease.
What else could this amazing lady possibly do?! Wait for it… She’s a huge animal lover and had a secret life as a wildlife rehabilitator. She volunteered at a 200-acre wildlife sanctuary in Texas for over 10 years learning to rehabilitate all sorts of injured native Texas wildlife including white tail deer, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, vultures, armadillos, etc. Hands down though, her all-time favorite animals to work with are opossums!
How lucky are we?! Rise, we are truly grateful for your sincere dedication to the mission of Second Helpings. You are quite a remarkable woman and we are very blessed that you chose to become part of our volunteer family. Are you interested in serving your community with Second Helpings?