St. Rose’s Mary Lee was a Christmas baby, born on Dec. 25. Perhaps, then, it’s no surprise she turned out to be quite the giver.
The 80-year-old Lee volunteers on a regular basis at the St. Charles Parish Department of Community Services food pantry in New Sarpy, where she provides the pantry upkeep and does whatever else she can to lend a helping hand.
“It’s all about giving back,” Lee said. “You want to do something for somebody, to reach out. Not for a pay salary … you just volunteer and do the best you can. And it makes me feel so satisfied to do something to help someone.”
Lee has volunteered for years in different capacities. She has been a member of the St. Charles Council on Aging since the 1990’s and is a part of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. The latter is what connected her with the food pantry a few months ago, and she plans to continue providing assistance as long as she can.
“She’s a joyful giver,” said Joan Diaz, St. Charles Parish director of Community Service. “She adds so much. Firstly, she provides valuable support by helping us maintain the bank, stock the shelves and making food bags … she’s keeping us ahead so that when someone in need comes in, we can handle the paperwork and give them what they need immediately. She helps us be a much more efficient operation.”
Lee also brings her own sunny disposition to the pantry, Diaz said.
“She’s just a very pleasant lady,” Diaz said. “She just exudes that joy of volunteering.”
Lee said her volunteer efforts have kept her busy, something that in itself provides her benefit.
“I’d always rather keep moving,” Lee said with a big smile. “That’s best for me to keep moving. Anywhere I can get up and move, inside to outside. I enjoy it all. I need to stay busy.”
Diaz said Lee hasn’t limited herself to her regular volunteer duties at their office. Unprompted, she took cuttings from different plants in the office and planted them in pots around the building, helping to beautify the area.
“She’ll water them and nurture them,” Diaz said. “She added a really nice touch to our building just because she just thought it would be a nice thing to do for us. And she was right about that. She’s always looking for extra things to do. It’s just who she is.”
Lee echoed the idea that giving comes naturally to her. “I don’t do it to be seen,” Lee said. “It’s just from the heart. If I see someone coughing, I look to get them a drink of water. If I see anything I can do to try to help someone, that’s a friend in need to me.”
She also admitted a bit of withdrawal after being forced to miss a few of her volunteer visits because of illness last month.
“I sure did miss it when I was out,” she said. “I just enjoy seeing everyone. This staff is so wonderful.”
Lee added with a laugh about why she keeps coming back, “It’s like feeding a stray cat or giving a child candy. They’re so good to me. It keeps me coming back, and I’m so excited to do this. I don’t know that they even know how much I enjoy it because it’s hard for me to describe.”
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