Patricia was a school teacher for 35 years. Right before her retirement, Patricia had the realization that she wanted to continue to make a positive difference in the lives of children. Patricia tells us her most memorable moment at her school was when it was dark in the morning and she saw the outlines of kids waiting by the lunch room for school breakfast. This sparked her curiosity and interest. It didn’t take long for her to notice that the lines were getting longer and longer, which made Patricia feel compelled to help in some way.

From then on, Patricia made volunteering at Care and Share one of her main priorities. She has been helping with programs that serve children, such as Send Hunger Packing, for more than seven years now. She describes our children’s programs as necessary, wonderful, and effective. “I thought, ‘Wow! This is where it happens,’” said Patricia. Send Hunger Packing is especially important to Patricia because she knows the food she is packing is going to feed children and their families. Although Patricia does not get to meet these children directly, she is still overwhelmed with happiness that the kids receiving these packs have food to eat during the weekends throughout the school year.