reaching back: why shree volunteers at mary's place

For Shree, volunteering is about more than giving back. It's about reaching back.

It's about extending the same compassion and support that once changed the course of her own life.

"In life, I've come to realize, we all need a helping hand at times," Shree says. "We all need support in one way or another. Reaching out for help takes bravery and trust that good people will reach back. It feels good to be that hand that reaches back."

For the past year, Shree has volunteered regularly at Mary's Place, serving meals to families and helping organize donations in the Mary's Marketplace. Whether she's preparing dinner or sorting essential items for families moving into housing, she approaches every task with intention, empathy, and gratitude.

Her commitment is rooted in lived experience.

"I grew up in a community that relied on programs like this," she shares. "It was organizations like Mary's Place that reached out a helping hand and made a difference in my life."

Because she knows what it feels like to need support, she also understands how meaningful it is when someone shows up with kindness.

"I know firsthand what homelessness feels like," she says. "I also know firsthand how it makes a person feel knowing that there are people who want to help you and who believe in you."

Those experiences have shaped the way she serves others today. Every meal she helps prepare, every shelf she stocks, and every interaction she has with families is grounded in the understanding that small acts of care can leave a lasting impact.

For Shree, one of the things that makes Mary's Place so special is the intentional care that goes into everything the organization does.

"Everything that Mary's Place provides completely resonates with me," she says. "The meticulous care and planning that goes into everything that is provided is so well thought out. Everything is done with the utmost importance for the people being served."

She notices the details that others might overlook.

"Nothing is just thrown together," she says. "Everything is planned out with the utmost care. I love being a part of this process. This is so much bigger than me, and I'm so proud to be a part of this."

That level of care can be felt throughout every Mary's Place shelter. Families are welcomed into spaces designed to help them feel safe, children have room to play and learn, and parents can focus on taking the next steps toward stability.

"Every aspect of the program says, 'You matter, and you are safe,'" Shree says. "Mary's Place is a safe place for kids and their families."

While volunteering in meal service, she often finds that the everyday moments stay with her the longest.

She loves hearing children laugh over dinner, watching parents relax for a moment, and seeing families treated with dignity and respect.

Those moments remind her why she keeps coming back.

She also hopes the experience leaves a lasting impression on the children staying at Mary's Place.

"Who's to say," she says, "maybe one of those kids will pay it forward and become a volunteer one day. Giving back, not forgetting the help that was needed, and becoming that helping hand for others."

Although Shree volunteers with several organizations, Mary's Place is the place she chooses to return to again and again, even though it is the farthest from where she lives.

"I do volunteer work at several locations around King County and Snohomish County," she says. "Although Mary's Place is a distance from where I live, I still come.”

When asked why, her answer comes easily.

"If I think back to my childhood and the help that I received, the places and people that made a difference in my life and changed the outlook of my future, Mary's Place would be it. What's even greater is it's all in one. Everything you need is within one organization."

From emergency shelter and nourishing meals to children's programming, housing support, and the everyday essentials families need to rebuild their lives, Shree sees Mary's Place meeting each family with compassion and care.

For her, volunteering is not about recognition. It is about making sure another family feels seen, supported, and reminded that they are not alone.

Her story is a powerful reminder that kindness has a ripple effect. The support someone receives today can become the compassion they offer tomorrow.

By choosing to reach back, Shree is helping create a community where every family is met with dignity, every child knows they matter, and every person has the opportunity to build a brighter future.