Dignity, Respect, and Service: An Interview with Becky Kelley

by Wyly Wickland

This week, I had the opportunity to interview Becky Kelly, a longtime volunteer and member of First Presbyterian, about volunteering at Community Ministries, especially within the food market. 

W: What do you do here at Community Ministries?

B: I serve on the council of the Community Ministries, and I volunteer in different areas like the mail room, the food pantry, and passing out hygiene kits. I’ve served at the breakfast and coordinated volunteers for the breakfast for many years. I’ve also been chair of the council for two years and co-chair for one year before Covid. 

W: How long have you been volunteering?

B: I’ve been volunteering for about fifteen plus years.

W: Why do you volunteer here? Why choose to use your time this way?

B: I always knew I wanted to retire early so I could give back and work in the nonprofit world, which initially led me to Community Ministries. When volunteering, I just found that everybody is so appreciative of what you do for them, and their our brothers and sisters. 

W: Do you have any favorite or most impactful memories from your time volunteering?

B: Mostly just simple things. For example, at the breakfast one time, a gentleman came up to me and said, “The reason I come every Sunday is to see your smile.” They just want us to smile at them. They’ll tell me that when they walk down the street, everyone will look away from them, so they just want to be treated how we want to be treated, with respect and dignity. And I believe that if we can help them in any way, then we should. 

W: What specifically about the food market do you think makes it important and valuable to neighbors and our community?

B: Well, the people we serve in the food market have some type of housing, and it is very important to keep them in said housing, because if they are to lose housing, it can be very hard for them to get rehoused. By making sure they have access to food, it helps with their bills and maintaining housing. Also, the food pantry has changed a lot; we now have things like produce, milk, and eggs. While the food pantry used to be only canned goods, it is now a place where neighbors can come and have healthy choices available to them. 

W: One of the key tenets of Community Ministries is treating our neighbors with dignity and respect. Would you say that the food market fulfills this tenet, and if so, how does it? 

B: Well, we’ve certainly tried to treat all of our neighbors with dignity and respect, and we’ve changed things in order to accomplish this. For example, each person has a personal shopper now when they come in. These personal shoppers go around with them and help them find what they want and make suggestions on what kind of products may be good for their situation. So it’s a much more personal experience than it used to be

W: Would you encourage other church members to volunteer? 

B: Yes, certainly. Volunteering is more rewarding than I think you can imagine, than anyone can imagine, and it's a great experience. 

Ms. Kelley’s many years of dedication to her volunteer work at Community Ministries can serve as inspiration to all of us, reminding us of the importance of the work we do here and how it may positively impact the lives of our neighbor community. Becky Kelley is a perfect example of what it means to Love Thy Neighbor and someone that we can all learn from.