Through the Eyes of a Volunteer: Lavender’s Story
Meet Lavender, one of our dedicated volunteers. Born in Oregon, Lavender has always enjoyed living on the west coast. When she wanted a change in scenery six years ago, she moved to Seattle to enjoy its downtown city setting.
In 2017, Lavender began coming to RVFB to get food for herself. She was welcomed and encouraged by staff to volunteer with us. She quickly became one of our volunteers and an integral part of our team, taking on a three-and-a-half-month-long internship in our distribution department.
A perfect fit for the fast-paced environment in the distribution center, Lavender is always quick to step in and lend a hand. From passing out fresh produce to making sure everything is running smoothly, she plays an important role in helping feed our community.
Her favorite part of volunteering at Rainier Valley Food Bank is getting to have conversations with guests, volunteers, and coworkers. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, she packs grocery bags specialized for each family’s dietary restrictions and preferences. If you’re available on Wednesday and Thursday, Lavender invites you to join us as we pack bags – noting that we could always use more volunteers to lend a hand. Once the bags are packed, she drops them off for the folks in our home delivery program. On Fridays and Saturdays, she’ll distribute diapers and serve as a “floater,” helping wherever is needed.
When describing the environment at RVFB, Lavender instantly thinks of the people here. Lavender describes that “RVFB has a love amongst its people who help it work and flourish.” To be here with great people who care for you and make up this community has meant a lot to her. Lavender hopes that as the food bank expands, we’ll serve as many people as possible.
Outside of the food bank, Lavender loves to relax and spend time with her friends. Once she’s done volunteering, you might find her spending time with her cat, Conan, or at her favorite restaurant, Phở Bắc Sup Shop, enjoying its welcoming environment and her go-to order of fried chicken and beef Pho.