By Arianna Nimocks, Meals Volunteer Coordinator
Mary Susan is one of those people that light up a room as soon as they step in. With an incredibly witty and fun sense of humor, storytelling that you could listen to for hours, and a laugh that feels like a warm hug, Mary Susan is an integral part of our community.
Mary Susan first got involved with The Nashville Food Project after noticing The Nashville Food Project’s trucks at Woodmont Christian Church while running errands, soon after she and her husband moved to Nashville. Coincidentally, soon after, she attended a luncheon where Tallu gave a talk about the Food Project. She says she had wanted to volunteer with “an organization that focused on the hunger issue in our community,” and this talk “convinced [her] that this was what [she] wanted.”
Over the years, Mary Susan has delivered meals as a food truck volunteer and prepped meals at our St. Luke’s Preschool Kitchen. When Covid-19 came around, Mary Susan notes how difficult it was to have to take a step back from participating at the Food Project, especially as she “was very connected with the staff and fellow volunteers.” She says “[volunteers] were all delighted when [they] could return to [their] ‘jobs’.”
Mary Susan now volunteers on a bi-weekly basis at our Monday afternoon St. Luke’s prep sessions, and has stepped up to help on Tuesday afternoons with fellow volunteer friend, Caren.
Mary Susan has made the Food Project feel like a home since my very first prep session at St. Luke’s. She immediately greeted me with a warm welcome and we talked about our shared love of living in the hill country of San Antonio, Texas.
“The Nashville Food Project is special in my life,” Mary Susan says. “It allows me to work with uplifting people who remind me of the goodness in our world.”
We are grateful for Mary Susan’s warmth and heart she brings to our organization. We could not do the work we do without volunteers like Mary Susan!
