Supporter Spotlight — Chrissy
“To know Chrissy is to be her friend.”
As told by one of her friends, we wholeheartedly agree that Chrissy Shelton is indeed a friend to our Ministry.
Chrissy’s support of St. Patrick Center began in 2018. “When I was a kid, I did not have a stable home environment and did not always have food security. I wanted to bring those safe places and security to people,” Chrissy reflects.
In the six years she has been involved, Chrissy has gone above and beyond in her support. She credits her support of our organization for several reasons, such as believing in our mission and the services we provide to our clients. “The first time you volunteer and get to connect with clients, it feeds that desire to help,” says Chrissy.
Chrissy supports St. Patrick Center in many ways. She has been on our Board of Ambassadors since 2022, volunteers in our food pantry and during lunch service in Shamrock Club, and often has drives to collect items for our donation center. Last spring, Chrissy collected 40 bags of food for Lent to benefit our food pantry. In the summer of 2023, she ran a large enrichment items drive for our Grace House clients.
However, out of all the volunteer opportunities that Chrissy participates in, the one she loves most is Give Thanks.
Give Thanks is our annual program dedicated to assisting clients and their families with little to no money to purchase essentials and celebrate Thanksgiving. It is an event that not only she participates in, but also one in which she involves her friends and family every year. “It is a day that not only I but the people I have recruited, look forward to every year,” Chrissy says. This year will mark her fourth year as a Give Thanks volunteer.
In her time as a volunteer, meeting clients and staff and listening to their experiences has surprised her the most. “It is surprising that we all have so much in common. When you sit down and listen to others and what their experience has been, there are some big, tender feelings,” says Chrissy.
Chrissy also works to bring other volunteers to St. Patrick Center by reaching out to many people in her network, whether it is friends, family, or colleagues. For anyone interested in becoming a volunteer or donating, she offers this nugget of wisdom: “You won’t regret it. It is a truly powerful, meaningful, and beautiful investment of time that rewards you in ways that you can’t describe. It has changed my life. I still feel rewarded all these years later.”
If you want to support St. Patrick Center with your time, talents, or treasure, please visit stpatrickcenter.org/volunteer
This story is featured on More Than a Soup Kitchen 006.