As part of ‘Celebrate 70’ this year, we are featuring profiles of some of our amazing volunteers. You will find more Volunteer Spotlight profiles on our website. If you’d like more information about volunteering, email Cassandra Meyer-Ogren at [email protected]
Name: Jane Allen
Age: 81
Town of Residence: Niantic, CT
What’s your ‘real’ job: Retired social worker
What do you do as a DPNC volunteer? Variety of jobs at the Giving Garden
How long have you been doing it? 3 years
Why do you do it? I do it as a good deed to help people that need food, to get healthier food. For camaraderie and for learning. I am learning a lot about gardening. And for exercise.
What’s the genesis of your wonderful support for the Nature Center? After I retired, for 9 years I ran a large food pantry and was always dissatisfied with the nutritional quality of the food we were putting out. So this gives me a chance to ameliorate that situation. I also thought that the Giving Garden was a good project for the All Souls Unitarian Church. They took to it very enthusiastically.
What’s your favorite part of what you do at DPNC? My favorite part is probably harvesting and friendships. Harvesting because you see the results of your work, and friendships because you are meeting new people and getting to know better old friends that I have brought along with me.