When I retired from decades working in the field of education and I lost my Dad, I went from waking up every day feeling like I had a purpose that was larger than just me.  My friend Jane, also a retired educator, talked about Oak Table and how much she was enriched by volunteering on Thursdays.  I asked if I could come hang out for a couple of Thursdays and see if it was a fit.  I was very quickly hooked.  Who knew we could make soup or invent a tuna casserole recipe for 120?  Relationships with the guests and other volunteers quickly developed and a new sense of shared purpose emerged. 

During this period, the numbers at Oak Table doubled and then tripled which required event planning to fund raise in order to meet the increasing needs of our guests.  The then chair of the Board, Bev Ridd,  asked me to chair a group to plan first a luncheon, and then a dinner.  These became annual events and important sources of revenue and a chance to grow the circle of Oak Table supporters.  This role morphed into becoming a member of the board and again working with others who shared the purpose of helping those under served in our community.  Oak Table gives me that purpose larger than myself, and now many of my own friends find meaning and enrichment by supporting Oak Table.