John Braeunig started working at Project Host in 1992 when the Soup Kitchen was located at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. John would come in every Friday he could to wash dishes. Eventually, he joined First Baptist Church, a partner of Project Host with a standing volunteer engagement on fourth Sundays, and was quickly appointed as Day Captain for the group. Read about why John has dedicated his time to Project Host for 30 years.
Read MoreMary Helms, a retired school teacher of 33 years, has been volunteering with Project Host ever since she felt comfortable coming out again after being vaccinated against COVID. Learn about why Mary was chosen as volunteer of the month and why she chooses to spend time at Project Host.
Read MoreMary Ann Anderson is a regular face at Project Host, frequently running the drink station during service and doing whatever is needed of her otherwise. Originally from Georgia, Mary Ann moved to Greenville in 2013 and spends a lot of time “piddling” in her yard and spending time with her 15 grandchildren. She started volunteering at Project Host before the COVID lockdown and is delighted to be back.
Read MoreJill Mashburn has been serving Project Host as a volunteer and board member for 10 years. Jill is a Sunday day captain and covers Christmas service every year to offer her Gift of Warmth to our guests. She can also be seen at virtually at all Project Host events and advocating for us in the wider community. Learn about how Jill came to love Project Host and why she dedicates so much time to our organization.
Read MoreEdward (Ed) Dolik worked in the theater for about 40 years and retired slightly early at 60 with the permission of his CFO (aka his wife, Anne). The only condition was that Ed needed to find something to do with his time. He naturally gravitated toward cooking, and ended up earning his culinary degree and volunteering to cook monthly dinners at a church for those in need. Upon moving to Greenville, Ed found his way to Project Host.
Read MoreMark and Karen Vollrath have been volunteering for several years with our Soup Kitchen, and we are extremely grateful for their hard work and dedication. They volunteer consistently each week and jump in wherever they are needed. Project Host wanted to know what it is about volunteering in our Soup Kitchen that keeps them coming back week after week.
Read MoreValerie and Cassidy Richardson are a mother-and-daughter team from Travelers Rest who wanted to volunteer over the summer and signed up at Project Host. They consistently volunteered each week, typically on Monday or Tuesday, but often whenever they saw a need, and they continue to do so now, into the fall. Project Host wanted to know what it was about volunteering in our Soup Kitchen that kept this pair coming back week after week.
Read MoreKathy Sakraida moved to Greenville two years ago and almost immediately began volunteering at Project Host every Wednesday. She also serves as the treasurer of the Rotary Club of Greenville City Center and recently helped Project Host receive a $1,000 grant toward the Soup Kitchen revitalization efforts. We sat down with Kathy to learn a little more about how she learned about Project Host and what has kept her faithfully coming back every week for the past two years.
Read MoreTaryn Copeland has been a dedicated volunteer at Project Host for three years. She’s been such a steadfast presence, in fact, that she was recognized as a Molina Healthcare Community Champion in 2018 for her work at Project Host. She comes three days a week to help wherever she can in the Soup Kitchen, and her easy-going nature brings a calming presence to guests and volunteers alike.
Read MoreSusie Porter began her involvement with Project Host about a year and a half ago, volunteering in the Soup Kitchen and the garden. When she heard the garden was back open after a COVID hiatus, she signed up to volunteer again and has been a regular presence ever since.
Read MoreRosemarie Winters began her involvement with Project Host when she was the organization's Sysco representative. She fell in love and vowed that when she retired, she would volunteer here, and she's been a Wednesday regular ever since.
Read MoreCharles Leister has been faithfully volunteering with Project Host for seven years, typically twice a week. He’s our volunteer of the month in February because we know he can always be called upon to help if we’re short volunteers. We sat down with Charles to discover what motivates him to devote his time to the Soup Kitchen.
Read MoreAfter retiring to Greenville in 2020, Dave Gerhard looked for places to volunteer and came across Project Host. Dave works in the Soup Kitchen weekly, and this month he earned our special thanks by signing up for extra slots when he saw numbers were low and helping Chef Marianne in our culinary kitchen. We asked Dave what it is about Project Host that’s kept him coming back since September.
Read MoreTony Ryan has a long history with Project Host. In fact, he met his wife, former Project Host Executive Director Sally Green, while they were both volunteers for the organization, and he oversaw the construction of the dining hall and Soup Kitchen when he was board chair over two decades ago. 2020 marks 30 years of service for Tony, and we had a chance to talk with him to understand what it is that keeps him coming back.
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