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Volunteer Spotlight

 

October '09 - Beth Parker

   Beth has been chosen as our October volunteer recognition recipient because she has been volunteering with us for nearly 15 years! She learned about TRM through her friendship with Karol Barkley. Attracted by the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children less fortunate, Beth has helped us in many ways which includes filling the roles of Volunteer Coordinator and Secretary of the Board.
   And many times she has arranged fund raisers such as, scrapbooking events, candy sales, and Pampered Chef parties. She even collected toys and money at her family birthday parties. And sometimes her husband and two sons would help with the gift distribution events at TRM. We appreciate Beth’s outlook when she says,
   "I believe in the mission that TRM stands for and I’m proud to have been involved in it... It’s amazing to see what can be done when people work together for good. It’s also right up my alley in regards to recycling (which
I believe strongly in.)"

September '09 - Bill Hartman

   Bill originally became involved with TRM when he donated toys several years ago. Now he comes in regularly to wash toys, which is a big help to us. He was born and raised in Fircrest; worked in the school system and in retail. Bill says he was "too smart to go to school" but he now enjoys teaching English as a second language. He and his wife have traveled the world on six missions for his church including Spain, England, Marshall Islands, and South America. He also enjoys spending time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

August '09 - Jamie and Jacob Hutchinson

   Jamie and Jacob met in high school then married two years ago and now they jointly volunteer at Toy Rescue Mission. Jamie learned about us in the Key Club at her high school in 2004. So she continues to come for our Work Parties because she finds it "rewarding to see the toys that the volunteers (including myself) have worked on, placed on the shelf in the toy store and picked out by the parents."
   It is very fulfilling for her to be in a position to help underprivileged families provide toys for their children on birthdays and at Christmas. Jamie is currently attending TCC with a goal of receiving a nursing degree. She loves to learn about anything and everything which keeps her coming back to TRM to discover more opportunities to learn. She’s training to be one of our grant writers and we’re glad to have her. Jamie finds it encouraging to return week after week because the fellow volunteers are helpful and nice.
   Her husband Jacob also likes the caring people at TRM and the fact that there are so many different tasks to perform. He says "it’s not so boring" and it’s fun to play with toys. Jacob finds volunteering here rewarding because he can contribute to a smaller, more communitybased organization instead of a larger one. He currently works at Spanaway Veterinary Clinic while attending Clover Park Technical College. He enjoys playing guitar and skateboarding.

July '09 - Melody Cummings

   Melody came to Toy Rescue Mission in 2002 to help repair the toy donations. When Karol learned she was a graphic designer, she was asked to produce the bi-monthly newsletter. In 2004 she joined the Board of Directors in an advisory position and served as Secretary for a short time.
   Melody’s dedication and loyal service in ensuring the timely and accurate delivery of our newsletters have often been one of our few reliable marketing ‘tools’ in the lean seasons. We are indebted to Melody for her loyal service. In seven years she hasn’t missed getting out one single issue! We are all grateful to her for sharing with us her fun (hidden object), informative, and creative talents.

June '09 - Karen and Andy Ward

   Karen and Andy faithfully come to TRM each Wednesday to wash toys and help with any task that needs to be done. We always appreciate their friendly helpfulness, reliability (even a snowstorm is not a deterrent for these Northwest natives!), and competence in many areas of toy reburbishing and repair. They both take home special projects to work on, using their talents and experience gained throughout their busy careers.
   Karen worked in chemistry and metallurgy, even testing chicken feed at one point. She is also a talented homemaker who became interested in Toy Rescue Mission while working with her church group on our Christmas stocking project. Andy worked in carpentry, agriculture and electronics in his career. And during the past three years, he has fixed electronic toys, repaired toys with wooden components, and also built wooden parts for chairs and rocking horses.
   Before retiring ten years ago, the Wards ran a travel office at Ft. Lewis. With two grown daughters and nine grandchildren, they enjoy helping others and staying busy. We know that ALL the children we serve benefit from the attention to detail the Wards put into every project.

May '09 - Carol O’Connor

   Carol is responsible for the stuffed animals at Toy Rescue Mission. She sorts, then refurbishes thousands each year by lovingly washing them by hand, hanging to dry, brushing, and replacing eyes. She also checks them for safety and age appropriateness before returning them to TRM so they can go out to new homes in Easter baskets, Christmas stockings, and loving little hands.
   Carol is married to a retired Air Force pilot who spent his career flying from bases around the Pacific Basin. Today they enjoy life on a farm and are known for their gardening advice as well. Five years ago at Eastertime Carol read in the paper about TRM needing stuffed toys and brought a bag to donate. Since then she has stepped up to run the stuffed animal ‘mission’ which has brought smiles to thousands of faces.
   Karol, TRM president, and Carol O’Connor found out what a small world we really live in when they discovered they had been neighbors in Gig Harbor! And Karol used to buy fresh produce from Carol’s farm.

April '09 - Barb Robak

   Her official title is Literacy Coordinator, but we call her the "Book Lady". For almost four years Barb has been instrumental in preparing books for the shelves of the ‘toy store.’ Along with her recruits she checks and cleans each page of every book before they go out to new homes. Barb’s generosity and service extend beyond books however.
   This past winter, her heart went out to the homeless when she partnered with Martha Davis, TRM Vice President, to coordinate a sock drive. Their efforts kept hundreds of feet warm and dry throughout the winter!
   After years of moving around the country, Barb is now retired and keeping up with active children and grandchildren in the area. She helps keep us at TRM on task by asking the important questions and reminding us of what needs to be done. With her big heart and generous soul, she is truly a bright spot at TRM and in our community!

March '09 - Alice Jones

   Alice has been for many years what we affectionately call our ‘doll lady’. A sensitive saint, she comes in once a week to sort dolls and create sets that include a doll, clothes, shoes and a blanket. Some of the clothes she even sews herself. She has outgrown the 9’x 9’ doll room, so we had to set-up a separate holding tank for new donations. We appreciate her high standard of excellence which has delighted the many children who receive these chosen treasures.

February '09 - Diane Pedersen

   For the past six years Diane has been the backbone of TRM. She was Project Coordinator for several years and served as Vice President for two years. Now Diane frequently comes in to assess the hundreds of donated toys that arrive almost daily. She helps sort and repair them, then shrink wraps the ones that require it. If a question arises about distribution efficiency she usually has a great idea.
   You might find her organizing the workroom or storage room. Diane also works with the Truman students on Tuesdays and Thursdays as they refurbish toys. Her stick-to-it-ness is tempered by health issues and we are grateful for her dedication. Diane is worthy of much respect for a job well done.

January '09 - Patricia Cavanaugh

   Patricia has been a volunteer at TRM for the past 15 months. She is a retiree who not only takes toys home to work on but has also organized her friends and neighbors to help. Without her help we could not have cleaned out the stroage area, delivered presents to the senior care centers or provided toys to so many children this past Christmas.
Thank you Patricia!

 

This position is made possible by the generosity of the following foundation grants: Florence B Kilworth Foundation, Tacoma Rotary Fundraising, Lucky Seven Foundation and Greater Tacoma Community Foundation