For Mary Crittenden (MC), giving back isn’t just an act of kindness, it’s a lifelong commitment. Through her involvement with Hope Center Inc., an emergency food bank serving families, children, and the elderly, Mary dedicates her time to ensuring that no one in her community goes hungry. During her Day of Giving, she joined her fellow volunteers to distribute summer meal boxes to children, each one packed with a week’s worth of breakfast and lunch essentials.
AC: What organization or local cause did you volunteer for?
MC: Hope Center Inc. is an emergency food bank where we give 1-3 days’ supplies of food once a month. During this summer, we have been selected as an organization to hand out summer boxes to children 18 and under. The boxes include a week’s worth of breakfast and lunch. We give them out every Monday.
AC: Can you please provide an overview of their mission?
MC: Hope Center Inc. is an emergency food bank where we give 1-3 days’ supplies of food once a month. We distribute food 4 days of the month. We also deliver to the elderly and homebound persons within the city limits. We have Growing Hope that offers clothes to 0-Toddlers clothes to those in need. We are starting Threads of Hope, where we will be giving interview clothes to those that are rejoining society and need to go to job interviews.
AC: Was this your first time volunteering for this organization or cause? Please elaborate.
MC: I am also a board member of this organization. I have been active with myself for 10 plus years now.
AC: Where there any requirements for this type of volunteerism?
MC: There aren’t any requirements for this type of volunteerism.
AC: Why did you choose to volunteer here for your Day of Giving?
MC: This organization, while a group of people not related to each other, is family. I am honored to be able to assist with making sure that we are feeding families in the community. Some people and kiddos do not know where their next meal will come from. We have to take care of our orphans and widows, as well as anyone we can. This is only a small part of what I can do.
AC: Can you tell us about your volunteer experience? What did you do? Did your time volunteering meet your expectations?
MC: We handed out the summer breakfast and lunch boxes. We have a group of young ladies and men who like to volunteer as well. We all worked together to get the patrons signed in and loaded the boxes into their cars. Volunteering is so rewarding. Even being able to go and make sure everything is ready to hand out outside of the distribution times is rewarding.
AC: What would you like to share to encourage others to volunteer their time and energy locally?
MC: I encourage everyone to go out and volunteer. Volunteering is very rewarding mentally and even physically. It can bring you new friends, new opportunities, and just an overwhelming sense of peace.
Mary’s dedication to Hope Center Inc. is a true reflection of what it means to inspire forward, creating meaningful impact through compassion and service. By helping provide food, clothing, and hope to those who need it most, she reminds us that community begins with caring for one another. Her message to all is simple but powerful: “Volunteering is rewarding mentally and physically. It can bring you new friends, new opportunities, and an overwhelming sense of peace.”
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