Celebrating Our Volunteers

A Recipe for A Lovely Evening

Take 50 EECM volunteers (any age, size, shape or color will work fine).

Add a dozen staff members and a beautiful September evening. Mix in several talented local musicians and a mouth-watering variety of sweets. Stir and enjoy!

Yield: One perfect Volunteer Celebration Gathering

Last Thursday evening was devoted to showing our deep and abiding appreciation for the many volunteers whose generous donations of time allow us to do all that we do. Most of EECM’s programs benefit from the help of volunteers. Some, like Meals on Wheels or our Men’s Emergency Shelter meals, literally could not function without them. Throughout our program areas we have many hundreds of dedicated volunteers who spend anywhere from an hour or two a year to many hours a day, lending a helping hand. They interview clients at the Food Pantry. They play games with guests at the Orr Center. They do yard work for our elderly Meals on Wheels clients. They tutor struggling students. They do whatever is needed.

And so we wanted to say a huge and heartfelt Thank You. The event was hosted at one of EECM's Member Congregations, Calvary Episcopal Church, with food inside and seating spilling out onto a beautiful stone patio. Several local musicians, including the coordinators of our ExtraOrdinary tutoring program, provided background music and even inspired several attendees to get up and dance.

The food for the evening was an array of sweets from Oakmont Bakery (home of some of the most wickedly delicious treats you will ever taste) and an irresistible fruit salad. Vases of flowers – in EECM’s colors of course – adorned tables lit by candlelight and decorated with coordinating cloths. Programming was minimal – our Executive Director, a Board Member, and our Volunteer Coordinator all said a few words, but the focus of the evening was on companionship and fellowship amongst the volunteers and staff members.

All the volunteers wore a name tag, and in addition to listing their name, the tag also indicated how many years of service they have given to EECM. The numbers ranged from only a few months to more than 33 years.

One of my favorite things about the evening was a brief session of Volunteer Open Mic when volunteers were encouraged to say a few words about their experiences with EECM. One woman told us about how she had briefly been a Meals on Wheels client herself before deciding to volunteer with the program. A young man shared that he came to EECM’s volunteer program as part of a rehab program after suffering a brain-damaging car accident. Many of our Bridge Housing clients are also volunteers and they are always ready to share. Theirs was perhaps the most touching testimony, as they spoke of how they volunteered out of a desire to give back, after having received so much from EECM.

It’s all too easy to take for granted the amazing gift given by these volunteers. And we don’t want to do that. And so we will continue to host Volunteer Celebration Gatherings in years to come, as just one small way for us to show our gratitude.