Meet Super Shirley! She’s a hunger relief hero who has selflessly dedicated over 558 hours of her precious time to preparing meals for our neighbors in need. Nearly 384 of those hours were served in 2018 alone. This foodie has quite the passion for nourishing one’s soul with tasty foods.
Shirley first learned about Second Helpings from a former Culinary Job Training (CJT) graduate whose life was transformed through the program. She was so impressed with his story that she decided to check out ways she could get involved. One visit to our website, and voila! Her application to become part of our volunteer family was submitted.
You can catch Shirley in our Hunger Relief Kitchen every Tuesday and Friday morning cooking up a delicious feast in one of our tilt skillets. She has volunteered across all areas of our mission but her favorite place to be is in the kitchen. When she isn’t on a tilt, you can find her in the corner being one lean, mean, can-crushing machine.
When asked what motivates her she says, “I am so proud to be a part of something so large and meaningful in our community. When I tell people that 4,200 people who are food insecure get a good meal every day, they are amazed. I appreciate the freedom we have to be creative while preparing meals in the tilts. I really think I’m a better cook than when I started, and an added bonus is that my upper body strength is better than ever.” What’s her favorite part? The people, of course. She says, “I especially appreciate the kitchen assistants on staff. Jason, Caroline and James are so extremely encouraging and helpful.”
In addition to volunteering at Second Helpings, she spends a lot of time volunteering at Faith Church. Before she retired, she was their Director of Business Operations but now serves as their Sunday morning greeter, makes and delivers meals to anyone in the church who needs assistance, and occasionally teaches 2-3 year-old kids. Together, she and her husband volunteer with Good New Ministries and lead overseas mission trips. Some of their most favorite trips have been to Costa Rica, Beirut and Ukraine. When taking it easy, she enjoys traveling with her husband and working towards her goal of reading 100 books within the year.
Shirley’s passion for serving our lovely community is worthy of celebration, and we are forever grateful for her dedication to our mission. Keep on shining that beautiful spirit of yours far and wide, Shirley.