June 2022: Volunteer of the Month
Debra Hampton takes a beat between tasks while volunteering at the Project Host Soup Kitchen.
Debra Hampton retired from a long career in food service. For 35 years, she worked for IDQ Companies in various capacities, supporting the only two corporately owned Dairy Queens and serving as Director of Training at the company headquarters in Minneapolis. Upon retiring, she wanted to relocate to somewhere with no snow, and Greenville kept popping up in searches. She came, she saw, she relocated, and she eventually discovered Project Host.
How did you hear about Project Host?
The only thing I hadn’t really done after I settled in post-move was find a place to volunteer. I had walked by Project Host when exploring the city and it caught my attention, and then you had an open house event here. Also, the apartment complex where I live sometimes volunteers here, so I signed up for that and came a couple of times with them. I wanted to use my food service background, and the first day I walked in here, I felt like I was at home again.
What motivates you to spend your time at Project Host?
One of the things it did for me right away is, I’ll admit if I was walking around and saw homeless people, I walked by. If they asked for something, I didn’t usually answer. I’d say I was even kind of afraid, and I didn’t know what to say. Now I talk to people. I stop and say hello, ask how their day is going, and I even know some people by name. It helped me because I had read a survey asking homeless people how they felt about those of us who aren’t homeless, and they said that we don’t see them. This helps me to see them.
I also love this group on Friday. They have been working together so long, they are so quick, they tease each other. They have very unique personalities. I enjoy the group.
What’s your favorite part of volunteering?
The feeling that I did something to help. There’s so much going on in the world these days that I often wonder, how can one person help or make a difference. When I leave here, I feel like I did.