Outreach in Action

Lori Hendrick is an Outreach staple who wears many hats

Volunteer Lori Hendrick invented our year-round holiday tree, which resides in the hall outside Outreach’s office. Lori and Outreach volunteers decorate it for each holiday. (This photo shows the 2023 Easter tree.) Photo credit: Becky King

by Jo Mayer and Paul Crandall

At first glance, the Stockbridge Library (CADL) seems to be in a very different business from Stockbridge Community Outreach, yet we have many things in common. We both serve the general public. We both offer services at no charge. We bring people together. We share information, and we help our clients/patrons search out information online. We even serve some of the same people—job seekers, for instance, or people researching how to live on a budget.

But our most prized commonality is not a service, but a person.

Meet Lori Hendrick, whom you may have seen working at the library or at Outreach because she wears both hats. Lori has helped at Outreach for over a decade, first as a volunteer and then as a part-time employee. She currently works quarter-time as volunteer coordinator and office assistant.

“It’s great having her here,” said Outreach Director Gwen Reid. “She helps us accomplish so much and keeps us organized!”

Longtime Outreach board member Mary Myer remembers clearly when Lori and her family moved to town. “I sold her the house that she still lives in,” Mary said. “I also eventually recruited her to help at Outreach when I was the volunteer coordinator.”

Lori’s affiliation with both Outreach and the library has provided an easy conduit for informal cooperation between the two. For instance, Lori has been seen rolling carts from the Outreach office at the Stockbridge Activity Center along the sidewalk to the library to help out with book sales. (Look for this spectacle around A Day in the Village time.) And when the library was ready to retire extra seat cushions and replace chairs recently, Lori knew Outreach had a need for them and helped make arrangements.

According to Library Assistant Rose Marshall, “Lori is one of those go-to people when you want to get something done and done right. She never leaves a task unfinished. Her connection between Outreach, the library, and the community is awesome. She never fails to offer help to those in need by directing them from the library to Outreach and vice versa. Lori is a kind and caring person and will help anyone in need. I am lucky to call her my friend. She is a great asset to the community.”

But who is this elusive, behind-the-scenes, essential worker? We sat down with Lori to find out a bit more about what makes her tick.

What would you like the community to know about you? I’ve worked at Stockbridge Schools for 15 years, Stockbridge Library for 16 years and Stockbridge Community Outreach for 10 years. My favorite place to go is Topgolf, and I love to go “Up North.” I like to listen to country music—Florida Georgia Line and Kane Brown are good!

What do you like about working at Outreach? I’m impressed with all the help that Outreach offers to clients. Outreach is also a place for anyone in need to look for (free) clothes, household goods and personal care items. We have a great group of volunteers who are willing to help you find whatever you’re looking for. We are almost always accepting donations—Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1–3 p.m. (or by appointment). We’re currently in need of adult and kids summer clothes. We have a 5-bag limit per donation, and please don’t leave donations outside our door if we’re not open.

How and when did you get involved with Outreach? I’ve always admired the work that Outreach did in our community. With the help of Kathy Gillem, Ev Kay and Mary Myer, I started volunteering in 2012. I was hired to do the Summer Tide-Me-Over program for a few years, eventually becoming the holiday & volunteer coordinator and office assistant, which is my current role at Outreach.

What’s a favorite movie or TV show? Any Hallmark movie!

Where’s a fun place you’ve gone on a trip or vacation? Friends and I had a good time in Maine camping and eating lobster.

How would you compare working in the previous Outreach trailer to Outreach’s current location in the old middle school? The trailer was small, and it needed a lot of work! Outreach currently has four rooms we rent at the Stockbridge Activity Center—an office/pantry room, a sorting room, a clothing/household goods room, and a Tide-Me-Over room. It’s cleaner and easier to keep organized.

What’s a favorite food? Pineapple pizza!

Has the pandemic affected things at Outreach? Yes. Sometimes the clothing room becomes a social gathering place because anyone who comes in may run into friends they haven’t seen in a while. We also had a change in how we schedule volunteers. We used to have lots of people work once per month, but when the pandemic hit, we had to reduce the number of people in a closed space, so we switched to volunteers who could work once per week, creating “teams” for each day we were open. That continues now.

What do you look for in an Outreach volunteer?

A good volunteer would be kind, helpful, courteous, respectful to others, and also be detail-oriented.

Is there anything you’d like to add? We are very thankful to get so many donations and for the generous support of our community and volunteers.

Thanks, Lori Hendrick, for all you do!

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. Outreach49285@gmail.com, 517-851-7285, or find us on Facebook.