If you’ve volunteered at the Poverello Center in the last year, you have probably met Emily, our volunteer coordinator, but did you know that she is a volunteer as well? Through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Emily and three other volunteers from around the country have been stationed in Missoula to do volunteer work for nonprofits in our community.
Since August, Emily has been a crucial part of the Poverello Center culture; not only has she led volunteer orientations and spearheaded efforts to recognize our volunteers, she has coordinated volunteer schedules for our biggest meals, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.
In addition, she’s helped oversee 6 neighborhood cleanups between the Poverello Center and Johnson Street Emergency Shelter, like the one pictured above, done by the Young Southeast Asian Leadership Initiative.
Emily has been a huge help to the Poverello Center, and we’re sad to see her time with us draw to a close. Development and Events Assistant Clara Bentler, who is also leaving the Poverello Center after a year full of incredible work, worked closely with Emily all year, and says “seeing Emily’s passion, commitment and heart working with volunteers is inspiring! She connects with volunteers genuinely, while going the extra mile to ensure they are happy, comfortable, and thriving in their volunteer role at the Pov. She is a bright ray of sunshine whenever you walk into the office, often greeting you with a big hello! Her presence at the Pov will certainly be missed, but I am so thankful for her work and commitment to community and the Poverello Center.”
Emily’s favorite part of working at the Poverello Center was “how much our volunteers care about the Pov and the folks who use our services. So many of them go above and beyond to identify gaps in services and fill them on their own. For instance, one of our pantry volunteers noticed that most people do not take cans while shopping. When he asked why, many said that they had no way of opening them. To remedy this problem and make sure that our clients are well fed, he began to provide can openers for pantry shoppers, free of charge.”
Although Emily won’t be at the Poverello Center much longer, there are always opportunities to volunteer! Visit thepoverellocenter.org/volunteer to learn about which programs take volunteers, and how to sign up.