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“There’s so much need going on. I can’t just sit on the sideline.” Let’s go back to before Paul started volunteering at the Edmonds College Food Pantry to make sure his classmates had enough to eat. Before he began serving at the Lynnwood Hygiene Center – a converted emissions testing site – to ensure the homeless had access to showers, toiletries, and food. Before he went back to school and enrolled at Edmonds College, to become a Substance Abuse Counselor. Let’s go back to the summer of 2018. Before that, Paul had a career as an auto mechanic. But, a busted ankle left him in a wheelchair that summer. He’d struggled with alcohol before, but with no structure to those long days, why not take a drink? He couldn’t work – and maybe would never be a mechanic again – and was worried about losing his place in Lake Stevens, so he called 211. The operator connected him to VOA Prevention Navigator Anne Hoffman. “She has been super. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have been able to make it.” Anne helped find rental assistance for Paul, first from one source than another. “It’s turned my world around,” says Paul. “I feel blessed because of all the people who supported me.”

“Awful.” That’s how Melissa envisions her fate without 2-1-1. For those who don’t have anyone else turn to, those three digits are a lifeline. Tears of gratitude flow as she tells about the call that lifted her out of the fear and uncertainty she never could have predicted as this year began. Melissa loved her job as a Trader Joe’s crew member. Setting up store displays, handing out food samples, and “doing anything else that needed to be done” for seven years allowed her to contribute to a 401(k) and retirement plan. Taking a chance, she cashed those out, left Trader Joe’s, and fulfilled a lifelong dream of starting her own business. Melissa Lynn’s Permanent Cosmetics specialized in cosmetic eyebrow tattooing. However, as business slowed, she returned to Trader Joe’s to have more income stability as a single mom and briefly stayed in her mother’s one-bedroom apartment. Three generations made the best of it. “We blew up an air mattress every night to sleep,” Melissa says with a chuckle. This year started full of promise. Then, schools closed. She had little choice but to quit her job to stay home and care for her 10-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter. Melissa collected unemployment, cleaned houses, and supplemented with child support payments. It still wasn’t enough. Helplessly watching income dry up over the summer, a fateful encounter in August with another Edmonds mom changed everything. “She told me about 2-1-1 and food assistance, so I could get an EBT card.” Brandi, who Melissa calls an angel, was on the other end of the line. Brandi quickly connected Melissa with Sue, a Fair Housing Counselor who specializes in landlord-tenant relations at the VOA Dispute Resolution Center, and Sue was able to secure three months of housing, seeing Melissa’s family through to the end of this year. Melissa has now extended her home to her mom, and three generations are still making the best of it. Looking forward to post-pandemic life, Melissa will emerge as a lash technician and hairstylist, making people feel beautiful and confident once more. Volunteering is also in her future, extending a hand to single mothers facing similar circumstances, paying forward the generosity she received through that late-summer call to 2-1-1. Instead of despair, “You have hope,” she declares. “You have options. You have people to help you. Just make the effort to reach out.”

For Diana and her boyfriend Christian, movies are a holiday tradition, always in a theater. Last Christmas it was Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. Go back through the holidays, and you’ll find Avengers, Wonder Woman, Deadpool, and even Jumanji, on New Years Day in 2018. This year it’ll be Wonder Woman: 1984, streaming in their apartment. An apartment they weren’t sure they’d be able to keep. “If Robin hadn’t called me, I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through.” Diana works, but Christian hasn’t had steady work and his mom, Maria, is unable to work. For the first time in their lives, they visited the food bank for Thanksgiving, and they were falling behind on rent. One day, their property manager connected Diana with VOAWW. That’s when she met Robin, an Early Resolution Specialist with VOA. “Robin answers every time I call. She answers all of my texts. I didn’t expect that.” Robin connected Diana with rental assistance to pay for two months in back rent. When Diana found out, “It was just incredible.....I cried.” “What I would like to share most is that there are always helpers out there. I think Mr. Rogers put it best: ‘Always look for the helpers.’ There should be no shame or guilt with asking for help, no matter how much or how long you need it. Our hope with our little family is that we can repay this back in the future in some way.” “Although we may not ever get to meet Robin in person, we are so grateful for her efforts! Thank you so much for all you do!”

We're visiting on a Wednesday, which means Claudia is back for a shower. On Wednesdays and Fridays, Claudia and her son Donovan come for free showers at VOA’s Sky Valley campus, and on Thursdays they visit our food bank. 61-year-old Claudia pampers Milo, her small white Applehead Chihuahua, while six-foot, stocky Donovan keeps an eye on Charlie, their beefy Red Heeler/German Shorthaired mix. Claudia talks in stories – mostly about Milo and Charlie – and in numbers: Five lower back surgeries. Three neck surgeries. One artificial right knee. An eviction in August 2018, followed by rolling her blue & silver 1989 GMC Vandura. Then she moved from that totaled van into her 2.5 liter, Forrest Green 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback. For sleeping, Claudia explains: “My daughter would take the driver’s seat, her boyfriend would take the passenger seat, and I would climb in the back with the dogs.” Now it’s Claudia, Donovan, Milo and Charlie in that ’96 Subaru, and they’ve found a property to park on at night on the other side of Sultan. Before that, their parking spots would rotate: the YMCA, Fred Meyer, AM/PM, the Tractor Supply, the 76 station and local parks: Al Borlin, Lewis Street, Traveler’s, Reese, Osprey, Trout Farm. “We cleaned up all the trash that was around those areas while we were there!” beams Claudia. But they keep coming back to VOA’s Sky Valley campus, at least three days a week: to get showered, and get gas cards, food boxes, dog food, towels, socks, hygiene products, and cookies. To be seen. “We would be starving” if not for the VOA’s Community Resource Center, says Claudia. “VOA accepts us for who we are with no judgment. With me on a limited income and my son losing his job because of the Covid-19, we struggle to survive. And thanks to VOA the amount that they have helped with has kept us afloat a little bit longer!” Then, she’s back to Milo stories, showing a video of her Chihuahua howling like a big dog and laughing like a proud mom.

O doesn't want to answer my questions. She's three, and she'd much rather run around barefoot and show me that she can balance on one foot. Two months ago, O left her home state with her mom and seven year old brother, escaping domestic violence. They first stayed with Auntie, then a friend, then different couches. They were running out of options. Then, they found Maud's House, our shelter for women and children. For the last two and a half weeks, O's mom has found stability, support, and safety. She can sleep again. And, she sees a future in Snohomish County: a job for her, schools for her kids, a long-term apartment or home they can call their own. Somewhere safe. Somewhere that O can run around barefoot.

Isaiah's playing "Need For Speed: Most Wanted" on his gaming laptop. Maybe it's because his whole world has slowed down, but there's something about the racing that he comes back to. Isaiah is a 10th grader at Sultan High School, and this year has been hard. "I miss being able to ask the teacher questions in person, and I miss my friends." In the beginning of the pandemic, he was mostly isolated at home. But then his Sky Valley Youth Coalition (SVYC) transitioned into delivering meal packs, and he jumped in. Isaiah volunteers unloading food and packing meals, and now the SVYC delivers to 71 different teens who receive 10 meals and 10 snacks each week. "When I started doing that, I felt a lot better, like I'm helping a lot of people." Additionally, with the commitment and persistence of Isaiah and other volunteers, the VOA Sultan Food Bank went from providing 200 boxes per week to just under 2,000 boxes a week. Isaiah received a SVYC Volunteerism Award last month for his extraordinary service. More importantly, he learned valuable leadership skills and he won’t stop until everyone from Monroe to Baring gets the food they need. "SVYC is a home away from home," he says. With help from Isaiah, the SVYC is helping to solve hunger with heart.

It’s 1981. Jake is 10 months old. His parents notice a red dot near his right eye, and soon the eye is so swollen that they take him to the hospital. The doctor diagnoses spinal meningitis. Jake’s eye gets better, but as a baby and toddler he’s not responding normally to others. It’s 1982. Jake is two and a half when doctors confirm what his parents have been telling them: He’s almost completely deaf, and likely has been since he was 10 months old. It’s 1983. Jake is three. Though they live in Arlington, his parents enroll him in the Northwest School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children in Shoreline, where Jake spends the next 11 years. With two teachers to six kids in each class, Jake finds a small community, caring teachers, kids like him. It’s 1994. Jake is a freshman at Arlington High School, his first time in public school, one of only four deaf students in a school of hundreds. “I only made it through four years of high school with the love and support of my parents and brothers,” says Jake, who sought refuge in reading, fishing, video games and acting. “Acting is my thing,” he says. It’s 2020. Jake is signing with Debbie, a deaf and blind resident of one of our Disability Services homes in Lake Stevens. He’s served as a Direct Support Professional at VOAWW for over a year now, helping Debbie, Steve, and Nick live as independently as possible. Today he’s my interpreter: I pull down my mask so he can read my lips, then he signs my questions to Debbie’s hands, who signs back to Jake, who shares her answers with me. She takes a break from reading her braille NY Times to chat, and I learn that her downstairs room is decorated with dolphins, and she loves Hawaii, Harry Potter books, and white wine. She makes her own coffee at the Keurig each morning, and she folds her own laundry, carries it down the stairs and puts it away. “I want to be a disability advocate,” says Jake, who enjoys his work and the relationships he’s built. He still auditions for parts in his spare time. And, during his 7am to 2pm shift, he always takes the time to connect with Debbie, to talk and to listen in a way that few of us can.

1.5 tons. That’s the total pounds of food that Mike Delaney estimates he hauls each Monday and Wednesday from 9:30am to 2:30pm. Since November 2014, he’s volunteered two days a week at VOA’s Everett Food Bank. He unloads produce boxes, hauls milk jugs, stocks canned vegetables, fills shopping carts, builds pallets, and empties garbage into the dumpster by the alley. Mike’s engineer mind, honed after more than 34 years at Boeing, keeps working, calculating, and finding efficiencies. “Hunger in the U.S. is a huge issue, whether most people recognize it or not. It’s amazing: I recognize many of the people who come here, and many come week after week, month after month.” Our Everett Food Bank, Sultan Food Bank, Casino Road Food Pantry, and drive-through food pantries depend on volunteers like Mike Delaney. Together with our Hunger Prevention staff, they’ve provided food to 40,000 households during the COVID-19 pandemic. By our count, Mike has lifted over 1,872,000 lbs volunteering with VOA. Thanks for doing the heavy lifting, Mike!

For 11 years, each day at work has pretty much been the same, which is exactly how Manny Magbag, a driver in Hunger Prevention, prefers it. He finds comfort in the predictability and repetition. It’s a never-ending battle to provide food to as many of our clients as possible. “You have to win the battle,” he says, “to achieve more every day.” Manny arrives early at the Broadway Food Bank, around 7:00 am, and assembles his armor: a white VOA panel van and radio. After checking that everything is secure, he tunes into to KIRO 97.3 FM to catch up on the latest news and current events as he heads out to perform “grocery rescue,” picking up the nourishment that will feed our clients: canned vegetables, rice, pasta, fruits, vegetables, and deli meats from QFC, Fred Meyer, Safeway, Target, Winco, Walmart and Costco. The stores are eager to help the community, and Manny is more than happy to oblige. Driving a regular route from Everett to Lynnwood and back again, he's carved out his own efficient system and makes friends along the way. “The closer you get to the store and the manager, it’s like family.” This connection is valuable to a people-person like Manny, who enjoys getting to know the grocery managers and trade stories about life and family. At the end of the day, returning to the garrison – a warehouse that is nearly bursting at the seams – he finds space for his haul among the boxes that are stacked floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall, waiting to be counted, claimed, and distributed. He knows that the transition to a new distribution center in Arlington will be a welcome relief. But nothing can diminish a good day on the front lines, helping fortify hope in the community. Though he is shy about being in the spotlight, “People appreciate you,” he notes. It’s this quiet reward that carries Manny forward into the battle against hunger, achieving more every day.

If you visit our Everett Food Bank, there's a good chance you'll talk to Nels. "I ask them if they want meat, dairy, or dog or cat food. I love helping other people." Nels first came to our Food Bank as a recipient. A heart attack sidelined him in 1998, and he's had two strokes since then. "They won't let me work, so I volunteer." For the past three years, Nels has volunteered four days a week. He knows how important our Food Bank is, because of those times when he was on the other side of the table. Thanks Nels! We appreciate you.

"A young mother came up to the Casino Road Food Pantry with children hanging from every limb on her body. With hope in her eyes she asked for size 5 diapers. My heart broke as I told her that we had run out of size 5. Still a bit hopeful, the mother tried requesting: “size 4?” “size 6?” Still no diapers left. At the Casino Road Food Pantry we hand out diapers but often run out of the bigger sizes(4,5). Even though I knew I couldn’t provide diapers every single week, the least I could do was buy a few cases for the next week. So I googled diapers and quickly found out that DIAPERS ARE NOT CHEAP!! This gave me perspective on how much my own mother has done for me, along with the struggle these families are facing each and every day. I am usually one to choose to donate anonymously for the goal of not glorifying myself, rather solely helping the cause. However when asked to share my story, I felt that God could use this story to inspire others to donate, along with bring awareness to the real and raw struggles in every day life." Diaper donor Mercy Andersen attends Glacier Peak High School this fall.

Rena Fitzgerald, MIT, MHP, wrote this op-ed during September 2020's National Suicide Prevention Month. I think about suicide when I see someone crying in the park. I think about suicide when a teen tells me they are anxious because they are under too much pressure to perform and make their parents happy. I think about suicide when a father tells me he is worth more to his family dead than alive. Why should you think about suicide? Because suicide is preventable and yet is the second leading cause of death for youth in Washington state and the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. In 2018 there were 1.2 million suicide attempts, and 48,344 people died by suicide. We have lost too many people to suicide right here, in Snohomish County. You can help to spread awareness and share that help is available 24/7 for those experiencing any kind of crisis to reduce the occurrence of suicide in our communities. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, crisis lines across the county have seen an increase in call volumes and the need for crisis services is expected to continue to rise. As many of our neighbors face fall with more financial stress, and parents struggle to maintain jobs while caring for their kids and managing their education – often with reduced access to services, programs, and support – suicide prevention and awareness are critically important. You are not alone. For over 30 years, Volunteers of America Western Washington has operated crisis lines focused on suicide prevention. Our professionally trained counselors are available to speak with you 24/7 and provide you with emotional support and connect you to resources in the community. You do not have to wait until you believe your crisis is “bad enough” to call us. We want to talk with you as soon as you feel the need. We want to help you before suicide becomes perceived as the solution to ending your pain. We want to help you navigate the frightening experience of wondering if someone you care about could be thinking about suicide and not knowing what to do. Because suicide prevention awareness is so crucial to our communities, we urge you to check in with those you care about, help keep them safe, and be there to help them get connected to professionals who can offer the care they need to recover. Help is a phone call away. Please do not wait to contact the crisis line. Facts about suicide: Suicide is complex. There are almost always multiple causes, including mental illnesses that may not have been recognized or treated. However, these illnesses are treatable. Mental disorders and/or substance abuse have been found in 90 percent of people who have died by suicide. Suicide is a response to intense, emotional pain, that results in feelings of hopelessness and of burdensomeness. Depression, anxiety, and suicidal crises are livable and survived by most who get help. Most people who survive suicide attempts report that they did not want to die, instead they did not believe there was any other way to end their pain. Simple ways to help raise awareness that suicide is preventable: Be aware of warning signs and risk factors and know how to respond when you suspect someone could be in crisis and/or thinking about suicide. A great way to accomplish this is through the American Foundations for Suicide Prevention’s Talk Saves Lives online presentation. Visit www.afsp.org for more information or to register for a presentation. Join Volunteers of America Western Washington’s You Are Not Alone campaign on Facebook and Instagram in September and share posts with your network. Share the regional and national crisis line phone numbers on social media and in conversation when it sounds like someone could benefit from talking with a counselor. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, increased stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic, or feeling like a burden, reach out to talk with a counselor today: 24-hour local crisis line: 800-584-3578 24-hour chat service: www.imhurting.org National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255) Help is a phone call away. Rena Fitzgerald serves as the Crisis Services Senior Program Manager for Volunteers of America Western Washington. She has over 18 years of experience in crisis intervention and suicide prevention and is identified by Washington State as a Mental Health Professional. She is active in community education regarding mental health issues and works closely with public schools to reduce youth suicide by providing suicide awareness instruction to students, staff, and parents. She is an active member of the Youth Intervention and Response Team and Child Death Review committee in Snohomish County.