A volunteer keeps on giving...

We received a bequest today from the estate of long-time and beloved volunteer Bess Foxman, who passed away in January.  Community Involvment Manager Sarah Santora shared these thoughts in remembrance of Bess:

She came to volunteer and stayed a friend…

Have you ever tried to interpret someone’s bad handwriting? That was the role Bess Foxman took on when she became a Foodshare volunteer in the Spring of 2003. Her natural curiosity about people made her a meticulous data entry volunteer. She would often scratch her head trying to read the volunteer forms saying, “Is this volunteer saying he is always available or not at all?” or “She was born in either 1994 or 1904!”.  She made data entry seem like an exciting mystery novel.

Bess believed in making a personal difference in the world. In addition to volunteering with us she went to CRIS Radio  and read the newspaper to visually impaired listeners each week. The news gave her a front row seat to crazy human behavior – which never failed to outrage or delight her.

Five years ago she called me into a conference room to explain that serious health problems would mean the end of her weekly volunteer visits to Foodshare. “Now don’t you cry!” she scolded as I started to tear up, “I have had a really good life and I am fine with whatever happens next.”

The staff was sincerely sorry to see her leave us, but she met up with one or two of us monthly to keep up all the office news in the years to follow.  Her new source of outrage was looking at the cost of her medical bills, “Can you believe what this test costs? I am going to tell them forget it the next time!”

In January of this year Bess died. She had contributed over 600 volunteer hours of service and now we know that she also planned for a generous donation through her estate. Bess was still taking care of her Foodshare friends right until the end. We will and we do miss her greatly.