Nominated by Kathy Hutton with St. Stephen’s – a branch of River Bend Food Bank – in Dubuque
Tell us a little about the volunteer (brief bio – student/profession, location in Iowa, etc.):
Sheila Schultz grew up in Dubuque, Iowa and had a career as a teacher. She received her Bachelors Degree, was married and started a family. While raising her family with her husband Buck, she went back to college for her Master’s Degree and still taught school. She taught as St. Joseph’s Catholic School and then switched to the Dubuque Community School system after she received her Master’s Degree. Most of her time at the Dubuque Community School System was teaching at the Central Alternative School with troubled youth. After retirement, Sheila started volunteering more at her church in Dubuque. That was where I met Sheila and she asked if I needed people at the Food Bank. She came to the food bank and continues to be of great value with all her skills. She is motivated by the mission of helping the people in need, which started with the youth she taught at the Central Alternative School. Each week we can expect to have Sheila at the food bank in some capacity for an average of 12 hours. The most important part of Sheila’s volunteer work is how the food bank impacts people because of what we do to help those in need. She also enjoys all the other volunteers and staff. Sheila will step up and do anything she can to help the organization in any way for the mission of feeding people in need. Sheila will do anything from picking up donations to sorting the food, cleaning, scheduling volunteers, filing papers and writing thank-you notes. Everywhere Sheila goes she talks about her activities at the food bank and how it impacts people’s lives; that is what helps bring in more volunteers. Sheila enjoys being out in the community serving the guests because that is where the results of what the food bank does is witnessed. For Sheila, helping to serve and witnessing the guests receiving the food to hearing their stores is by far the best part of all the volunteer work she does. This is the most fulfilling activity to Sheila just because of the happy faces seen.
What is the primary (one or two) organization(s) they serve? St. Stephen’s Food Bank Branch of Riverbend Food Bank
How long have they volunteered with this/these organization(s)? 5 years
Why does this volunteer deserve to be recognized with a 50 Faces of Volunteers spotlight? Sheila is not a standard volunteer she has more energy than a millennial with their power drink. She is an amazing volunteer and her impact is extraordinary. She is part of the tribe that keeps the flow of the mission going. She is essential to the mounting work as we increase our food distribution to the under served population. With our distribution of food facing larger amounts, her skills matter. There are many distinct traits that make Sheila an amazing volunteer. I have seen these first hand each day she volunteers at St. Stephen’s Food Bank where she has helped to create a platform for the organization to grow by 16% in 2018 and 2019. Our tribe consists of some of the most amazing people I know on this planet and Sheila is one of those astonishing people. Sheila is a result driven person with a good strong driven mindset with a cause to generate a major positive impact. Sheila has helped with implementing some of our warehouse procedures after she and I discuss what needs to be done. She has helped with meaningful fund raising and attracting more amazing volunteers. She is driven by the bottom line, which are results. Sheila is passionate and professional. Sheila brings her best to her volunteer effort. Mix that professionalism of hers with passion and the result is impressive. At St. Stephen’s we collaborate with over 65 nonprofit partners that help us accomplish our goal of ending hunger in the tri-state area. With Sheila’s work ethic, professionalism and passion, in her efforts she has helped in numerous ways to better our goals. She has helped implement cleaning schedules to make our distribution center more presentable, she greets our partner agencies and helps them find product, she sorts product and makes sure it is all presentable. Sheila has added all of this volunteer time on top of her life schedule of church volunteering and family commitments. Sheila has a collaborative tribal mindset. St. Stephen’s Food Bank runs on a lean budget. The upside of this is we have thrown open the doors of our organization to invite in others. In fact, we need an entire ecosystem of genius to emerge. Sheila is one of the best volunteers that understands this and works with our non-profit leadership to identify, cultivate and realize highly valuable policies and procedures in what we do at the food bank. I have witnessed this first hand in her duties of coordinating schedules of other volunteers. Her self-driven personality has brought other volunteers into making time commitments to the works of the food bank that is only possible with a vast tribe of amazing volunteers. Sheila makes no excuses. Sheila sticks to her commitments. She has a zero flake factor. If she says she will contribute something specific, she does her absolute best to make it happen. She is a problem solver, organizer and mentor and persists till she finds a way forward. Sheila is a constant champion. Sheila is an amazing volunteer that does not have an off switch. She always finds a way to spread the word. It may be as simple as asking others to follow the organization on Facebook or join in on the volunteer work. She may find a way to bring visibility to the story of the food bank or some of the people the food bank has served. She has strengthened the tribe by enlisting their best abilities. The purpose and passion for the mission integrates into her daily life. Sheila energizes. Sheila is the original energy drink. She makes others feel charged when collaborating with them. When Sheila is with different volunteers in the work environment it is magical, lasting friendships have formed, fun is present and she makes the place feel like family. On occasion she even bakes up a treat to share at break time. With Sheila it’s a match. The most amazing part about Sheila is she thinks less about what she can get from the experience of volunteering and more about what she can contribute. Sometimes there is a mismatch between what the volunteer wants to contribute and what the organization needs. This is not so with Sheila. She always takes the time to listen to what the leadership wants for the organization and helps in any way she is able. Sheila brings a wide range of contributions to the table but the number one being her seasoned skills or raw energy. Another is her contribution to the organization being one of her ongoing commitments. Regardless of the particular contribution or the duration of Sheila’s time and her volunteer presence, her super-sized volunteer work makes her an amazing asset to the St. Stephen’s Food Bank. I am personally delighted we have Sheila and her championing skills at the food bank.
Tell us about a great volunteer! We would love to recognize them as one of our “50 Faces of Volunteers.” Volunteer Iowa will feature nominees as they are received. Contact Volunteer Iowa at icvs@iowaeda.com with “50 Faces” in the subject line for more information.
