Betty Haymon has been volunteering at Preble Street every month for 25 years. In the summer of 2000, she signed up to do the breakfast shift at the Resource Center Soup Kitchen on the first Saturday of each month. Shortly after, she was given a tour of the Teen Center and told that their kitchen needed help as well, so she began doing the dinner shift there on the first Thursday of every month.   

“At the time, I was a full-time first grade teacher. 25 years later, I am still doing those two shifts,” says Betty. “My first dinner shift at the Teen Center kitchen, I cooked hot dogs and mac and cheese and served that along with dessert. The teenagers were so happy to get a meal and have a place to gather that I immediately felt it was a good fit for me.” 

The world has changed a lot in over two decades, and so has Preble Street. During COVID, the Resource Center and its soup kitchen closed to make way for programs that better fit current needs: the Elena’s Way Wellness Shelter and the Food Security Hub (FSH). Betty transitioned her Saturday mornings to packaging meals at the FSH for a time and now serves breakfast with other Preble Street volunteers at the City of Portland’s Homeless Services Center (HSC).   

Betty was kind enough to share her experience with us here:  

“After 36 years of teaching young children, my retirement plan was to increase my volunteer service. Not just to Preble Street but to other organizations that need help. My dream has come true.   

Over the years I have seen Preble Street hire capable, committed staff: kitchen staff who work hard to keep the quality of meals high, staff who organize the volunteers and show appreciation for all we do, Teen Center case workers who guide and nurture youth who are in need of an adult to help with their next step(s), and case workers who work at the Florence House Women’s Shelter, showing them support, giving assistance, a bed, and shelter.  

I have worked with many other volunteers. Some for a day, some for months, and some for years. I have enjoyed talking as we work, getting to know others, and have made a few lasting friendships. In my time here I’ve worked alongside coaches, business executives, people in recovery, kids needing community service, nurses, senior citizens retired from their careers, people on parole, teachers, tech wizards, church groups, families with their teenage kids, artists, band members — we all have stories and we all have a great time interacting while we provide food for folks who need a meal.  

When I meet new volunteers, I try and get them to see the need for what we do. The volume of food needed can be overwhelming. Peeling and cutting carrots for 3 ½ hours or making 450 sandwiches can feel tedious. However, when we talk about the people waiting for their food most volunteers realize the job they are doing is part of the bigger picture and truly needed.  

I believe we all could be one step away from homelessness. Something we never anticipated could cause our life to change. The people Preble Street serves all had their life impacted in some way that triggered the journey to homelessness.  

There have been many changes at Preble Street since 2000. The thread that ties me to Preble Street is their mission and commitment to helping people who may be without a place to shelter or food to eat or socks to keep their feet warm. Or perhaps the feeling of being without love or feeling that someone cares about them. When I finish a shift, get in my car and drive to a house that I call home, I cross my fingers. I reflect and hope that by getting a meal to a person who is hungry I have made their day better. I also hope that it is not just the food that changed their day but the fact that someone, me, volunteers, Preble Street staff, cares about them. That’s why 25 years later I feel it is a privilege for me to work shifts at Preble Street. Being a Preble Street volunteer has brought me joy, appreciation for those in need and the understanding of how fragile the journey of life can be.”  

Thank you, Betty, for your kind heart, helpful hands, and 25 years of supporting Preble Street and the people we serve!