Patricia Mollison is a long time volunteer at the Christian Service Center, a food pantry located at 322 Clay St. in Niles near St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Patricia lives in Niles and is a retired school teacher.

 

What do you do for the food pantry?

I call myself the “grocery getter” because that’s my job. I make sure all of the shelves are stocked with whatever we need and that can be through petitions, shopping for sales, working with Feeding America — all of that. I try to make sure that we don’t run out of anything. I bring it in and I stock it and inventory it.

I also keep the flower gardens up. I am kind of what you’d call “the grunt.” I will do anything that they need me to do.

I also make sure that anything that we can’t use, or that can be used better somewhere else, gets where it needs to go. Like if we get Enfamil or diapers those could be better used at the Pregnancy Care Center.

 

When did you start volunteering there?

I think this is my sixth year now.

 

How did you get involved?

St. Mary’s is my parish. So my friends and, in particular the (food pantry) Director Pat Saxton — I asked her what I could do to help out. She has been putting these things on me and I love every minute of it.

The only thing I don’t get to do as much as I’d like to is work with the clientele. I am kind of the behind the scenes person, so I miss that. But we can’t all do everything. This job has evolved to fit me perfect.

 

What do you enjoy about volunteering at the pantry?

When I am around here it is just a happy place. It is a supportive, positive and appreciative place. I just love to be here and I feel good about fulfilling a need.

When you teach your world is very big with parents and kids and staff, but when you retire it shrinks. It is very small and all of a sudden it is just about “me.” That is not a very interesting world, so this is cool. I get to meet a lot of people.

 

Why is it important to volunteer?

If everybody found something to do there would not be so much of a burden on people. I think you have to keep giving for the world to keep getting better. I believe I don’t do as much as a volunteer for the center as the center does for me. If life is worth living it has to broad, it has to be wide.

 

Do you know a volunteer worthy of recognition? Nominate him or her as the Volunteer of the Week by calling Craig Haupert, community editor, at (269) 687-7720, or emailing him at craig.haupert@leaderpub.com.