At the St. Vincent de Paul Detroit thrift store in Marysville, one volunteer embodies the selfless spirit and dedication that keeps the retail operation's heartbeat pumping.
Her name is Mrs. B. "Mrs. B is simply invaluable to our team," said Andrea Hines, Marysville Store Supervisor. "Her hard work, insights from her nursing career, and caring nature have made her a driving force in maintaining our store's successful day-to-day operations."
Since beginning her volunteer work at the Marysville location nearly a year ago, Mrs. B has invested a staggering number of hours to support the staff and mission. In March alone, she volunteered for 94 hours, with another 77 already clocked in April.
"Mrs. B is such a motivated, goal-oriented individual committed to strong teamwork," Andrea explained. "It stems from over 20 years of experience as an intensive care nurse where performance and consideration for others was crucial."
That perspective has empowered Mrs. B to go above and beyond in her volunteer duties. She conscientiously preps work areas, meticulously boxes fragile inventory items, and maintains an organized, clean environment for staff and fellow volunteers. "Every Monday like clockwork, Mrs. B is here helping to pull inventory off the floor and carefully package fragile pieces," said Andrea. "It allows our full-time team members to allocate their time to other important production tasks."
Mrs. B's contributions do not stop at supporting operations, though. She has added modest yet meaningful touches that boost morale and efficiency. This includes setting up a cozy break room area with access to key resources. "It's those small thoughtful details from Mrs. B that make our team feel valued and comfortable throughout hectic workdays," Andrea added. "She streamlines processes while showing care for our personal well-being too."
For Mrs. B, the motivation to give her time and talents is simple - she is committed to SVdP Detroit's mission of serving the community and our neighbors in need. "I'm just blessed to be able to volunteer and give back in this way," she shared. "Knowing my small efforts allow the store to raise more funds for important programs is incredibly fulfilling."
As SVdP Detroit's retail footprint continues growing, exemplary volunteers like Mrs. B will be the heartbeat driving those operations and increasing the organization's local impact. "We are truly lucky to have Mrs. B as part of our Marysville team," Andrea stated. "Her dependability, leadership, and compassion set the bar for how we hope all volunteers can embrace our mission and serve their neighbors."
