Mary is one of those people who exudes enthusiasm. She greets everyone she sees by name, and asks them about their lives — how’s their daughter? Did they land that job they applied for? Would she see them at dinner? Being around her feels a bit like being warmed by the sun.
Mary is a monthly Hearts for the City donor, and a vocal supporter of UGM. But her passion for giving is one that started at home: with the gift of time. “My mom was a big volunteer,” Mary recalls of her childhood in Abbotsford. “She was always helping wherever she could, and so helping others was always part of our makeup.”
After a successful career as an Executive Assistant managing the needs of 800 employees, Mary wanted to fill her retirement with giving back. She found her way to a volunteer post in the UGM kitchens. “When I first started at UGM, I just wanted to volunteer my time,” she says. “That’s a donation in itself. But after a little while, I started donating money too, because I could see how the kitchen can make a dollar stretch like nobody’s business. They’ll do anything they can to make sure no one is turned away hungry.”
One of the things Mary emphasizes about the importance of giving is that everyone she meets is unique, and the challenges they face are complex. “I ran into a community member in Burnaby recently, and we shared a big hug,” she says. “I asked him how he was doing, and he said ‘I got my GED, I got housing, and I got teeth!’ You know, your average person isn't worried about not having teeth, but that’s what he needed. And he got his needs met and he’s so happy.”
Through her work as a volunteer, Mary has seen many community members receive life-changing support. And through her work on donor appreciation tasks, she’s seen the impact that regular giving can have on a neighbourhood. “Monthly giving is so helpful, because it lets an organization plan into the future,” she explains. “Even if you’re giving a small amount, that’s incredible, because your $5 adds up with someone else’s $5, and before you know it, you’ve got $50 a month and that’s $600 a year and you’re well on your way!”
On her way to her next kitchen shift, Mary shares the secret behind her belief in incremental change. “The thing I've learned through working here is: I don't have the answer to homelessness, I don't have the answer to the opioid crisis. But I can give someone a warm meal. That is the simple thing that I know how to do.”
