Outreach in Action: Mary Myer, dedicated volunteer and board member, retires after 25 years with Outreach

by Jackie Scheller

In the field of volunteerism, there are some genuinely amazing, pioneering leaders whose stories are sure to motivate you. Mary Myer of Stockbridge is one of those people.

Like so many other volunteer leaders, Myer learned from the late Margaret Wild, a founder and champion of Stockbridge Community Outreach, along with several UMC church members. Together, they saw a need, believed there was a solution, and advocated for it. They drew others from various churches to the cause, and with a dedicated team, achieved success serving the community and surrounding area for the past 40 years.

Stockbridge Community Outreach (SCO) was established in the Fall of 1981 and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that has grown with the demands of the community.

For the past 25 years, Myer has been a dedicated volunteer and board member helping to oversee this growth. Her welcoming attitude and generous smile—not to mention, a laugh that resonates with all— will be missed as she enters full retirement.

Recently, Mary shared a story about the time she joined Mrs. Wild and went business-to-business asking for donations. And by gosh, they got what they asked for! Apparently Margaret left quite an impression and many businesses wrote checks that day. From that point on, Mary was hooked!

Mary has worked many jobs in her professional life, including as an apartment manager and Realtor. These jobs made her keenly aware of the needs of tenants, so she first began working with Outreach to fulfill tenant needs.

It was after her retirement that she dedicated her time to volunteering with Outreach. She first served as a board member then became the volunteer coordinator. In 2001, she was recognized as the Outreach “Volunteer of the Year” and was presented with a plaque by Jon Fillmore.

Volunteers are motivated by passion, values, and purpose, and nonprofits cannot exist without them. Mary has advocated for volunteerism, managed and reinforced her team of volunteers, and led the way for growth at Stockbridge Community Outreach.  In fact, volunteer recruiting and retention is one of Mary’s greatest gifts!

Lori Hendrick was one of Mary’s many recruits and is now the volunteer coordinator. According to Hendrick, “I have worked with Mary for almost a decade at Outreach. She is kind, caring and so much fun to work with.”

Gwen Reid, Outreach director had this to say about Myer, “Our organization depends on community volunteers and we would not be nearly as effective without them. Mary is appreciated and will be missed.”

Stockbridge Community Outreach wishes Mary Myer a happy retirement and continued health and happiness. In recognition for her years of service and dedication, a celebration was held for Mary at Outreach on May 13.

Mary Myer’s generous smile and commitment to expanding the volunteer network will be missed as she retires after 25 years with Stockbridge Community Outreach. Photo credit: Gwen Reid.

If you would like to learn about Outreach volunteer opportunities please call 517-851-7285.

Jackie Scheller is a Stockbridge Community Outreach board member. This column is sponsored by Stockbridge Community Outreach, our local food pantry, crisis, and referral center located in the Stockbridge Activity Center (old middle school) near Cherry and Elm streets in Stockbridge. Office hours are 1-3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and by appointment. [email protected], 517-851-7285, or find us on Facebook.