Food For Thought

Volunteer Of The Month Makes Sure People Get Meals And Kindness

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During Pat Hunt’s long career as a clinical social worker, the job never felt like work because she cared about the people she helped. When she retired 11 years ago, she wanted to fill that void, so she started volunteering.

Hunt is an interviewer for SPAN and for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a St. John the Evangelist ministry that, like SPAN, provides food and financial assistance with utilities.

As a social worker, she helped the homeless, the elderly, people battling addiction and people diagnosed with AIDS. Now, at 80 years old, she helps many people with similar needs.

“The poor are getting poorer,” Hunt said. “People can’t get to work because the price of gasoline is going up. It’s hard to get things they need because food stamps don’t cover laundry detergent, soap or other non-food items.”

Hunt feels compelled to give back because it’s “part of our responsibility in the Catholic religion,” but there is another reason: she enjoys helping others navigate tough circumstances.

“I personally love to spend time talking to people, not just handing out a check,” she said. “Seeing them come in distressed and in despair, the transformation is amazing.”

As an interviewer, Hunt determines the needs of people who come to SPAN or Saint Vincent de Paul for help. She decides what those groups can do and if she should refer a person to another organization for services beyond those provided by Saint Vincent de Paul and SPAN.

“We look at the whole person, and it’s usually not just a bill to pay,” she said.

She has been an outreach volunteer for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church for over 10 years. With Saint Vincent de Paul, Hunt also helps people going into halfway houses.

“Pat's 40 years as a social worker on the streets of Washington, D.C. make her the perfect mentor for our new volunteers,” said conference president Cindy Halloran. “Her caring manner and empathy toward those in need make her a comforting presence when she’s assisting a neighbor in need.”

Maia Grabau, SPAN’s director of operations, appreciates how Hunt devotes much of her free time to helping clients in desperate situations.

“She will try to find legal help for clients after hours, for instance,” Grabau said. “She will sometimes go to court, for example, with clients facing evictions to help them through the process. She and her family have also helped a few clients in more extreme situations to move into housing when they previously had none. That is going above and beyond the call of duty, especially at 80 years of age!

“I truly cannot say enough about her. She is a deeply caring and compassionate woman who truly lives to serve others.”

Both SPAN and Saint Vincent de Paul are always in need of caring volunteers, not just interviewers but also people to work in the food pantry. Anyone interested in being an interviewer needs to be compassionate, Hunt emphasized.

“It’s very hard for people to not be judgmental,” Hunt said. “An interviewer might say, ‘Oh, this person drives a Cadillac.’ Well maybe they are borrowing someone else’s car to get here.”

Saint Vincent de Paul and SPAN work closely together and share some resources, allowing them to serve more people. “The community is also very involved in helping,” Hunt said, noting how supporters will provide more than just nonperishable items, giving fresh produce, milk, eggs, toiletries and diapers.

In addition to volunteering, Hunt enjoys singing for Encore and for the choir at St. John the Evangelist. She has three adult children and six grandchildren. Kindness runs in the family; her daughter is a social worker and deputy director of an opioid program, and her granddaughter is also a social worker.

Even at 80 years old, Hunt hopes she can volunteer “forever long.”

“People need hugs,” Hunt said. “They need the kindness, empathy and warmth we provide as interviewers.”

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