MARILYN AND HER JOURNEY TO VOLUNTEERING
It was 1992 when Marilyn found herself facing a perfect storm of hardships, realizing that major changes were needed for her and her daughters, and their safety and security. Like many clients who reach out to SNAP, extenuating circumstances forced her to look for options to keep her family safe and stable. Through her connections at The Lodge at Spokane Falls Community College, which then helped women who were going through divorce, she was referred to SNAP to apply for energy assistance. She reached out as they were heading into winter, but as winter is a high-need time for SNAP’s energy team, she was unable to receive energy assistance that year. She and her school-aged daughters continued to face challenges, with Marilyn determined to keep her family intact in the children’s home and neighborhood school. Managing multiple responsibilities and keeping the heating bills paid in the winter was a challenging task.
However, Marilyn’s request and need had been received by SNAP – she was surprised two years later when a SNAP crew contacted her at her home ready to make it more energy efficient. The crew conducted a thorough walk-through audit to best configure her energy-saving needs. Then came the drilling for a gas line, weatherization and the installation of a 92% efficient gas furnace. Marilyn’s bills, which had been $300 per month, dropped to less than $80 per month!
“That was a huge game changer – I now had some breathing room in my budget,” Marilyn recalls.
Marilyn and her girls continued on their journey, achieving greater stability and thriving in spite of significant obstacles. Marilyn was able to obtain her degree in Liberal Studies from EWU and worked in social services. While providing support services for early learning families in Deer Park, Marilyn was able to refer families to SNAP’s various services, host parent evening programs to provide presentations for money management, budgeting, first-time home buyers education and guide clients going through similar challenges.
Nearly three decades later, Marilyn found her way back to being involved with SNAP – she is now a volunteer with the Neighbors on the Go volunteer driver program, where she provides rides to and from medical appointments for clients with transportation challenges. “It might sound cliché but I really do believe that what goes around comes around. I am so privileged to be at this place in my life where I can give back. SNAP was there for me when I needed help and now I can be there to give help back to others through SNAP.”
Click HERE for information about SNAP’s Neighbors on the Go volunteer program, for which Marilyn now volunteers!