We are so grateful for community volunteers that help our programs thrive. Amy S. started volunteering at Broadview in March of 2016 as a Cooking Matters volunteer. Amy used her education from Bastyr to teach nutrition and healthy eating habits to the kids at Broadview during a weekly cooking group.

The kids loved the fun and innovative activities Amy created to teach healthy eating on a budget. Her 12-year-old daughter began to show interest in supporting the kids that live at Broadview, and rallied her Girl Scout troop at Salmon Bay School to show support. They ran two clothing drives for Broadview by washing, sorting and folding the masses of kids clothes left at their school’s lost and found.

I had the pleasure of visiting their Girl Scout troop, and we discussed white privilege, classism, and ways to combat the stereotypes society teaches us about why people are poor. It was heartening to see a group of pre-teen girls think critically about their privilege and what they can do about social injustices.

At the shelter, we are often overloaded with inequalities — from the ways abusers treat the women we work with to how our systems fail them. It is so refreshing to see community members band together to help one another. Thank you to Amy S. and her family for supporting our community!

Join Amy and volunteer with us! The next monthly volunteer orientation is Thursday, July 13. You can sign up here.

Image at top: Kayla B. poses with one of our youngest volunteers!