Every day Greentrike volunteers dedicate their time, talents, and energy to help us provide high-quality, enriching programming for children and youth in Pierce County. Our volunteers help us honor children and youth, champion play, and make an impact in our community, and this Mother’s Day we want to say thank you to two important volunteers – Linda Hanan and Pam Ashby.
Linda and Pam, long-time friends and Tacoma community members, volunteer regularly to assemble activity kits for Greentrike Cares, a program based in community partnerships that offers children, staff, and families easy accessibility to thoughtfully prepared, play-based activities.
“Volunteering to make kits for the museum has been a really satisfying experience. My friend Pam and I meet at my house and do the kits together. It feels really good to know that what we do is helping children and parents.” – Linda Hanan
Linda was born and raised in Tacoma and raised her own family here as well. She worked as an office coordinator at Tacoma Public Schools for 27 years, where she was also a member of the parent teacher association and a Blue Bird leader.
She is deeply committed to her family, enjoys activities with her grandchildren, and has discovered the joy of travel in later life. Her engagement with community doesn’t end with Greentrike – she’s been volunteering at her church once a week for the last decade to make sandwiches for the people experiencing homelessness.
“When you give your time, you receive so much more in return.”
Pam, a local at heart, has lived in Tacoma for the last 50 years and shares many of Linda’s sentiments. Her fondest memories of working life are at the Tacoma Public Library and the Weyerhaeuser Print Shop, where she worked in customer service and purchasing. She believes schools are vital to community, and when her children were young, she volunteered at Little League and Sunday school.
“I really like my community and have always tried to support it. I think that Greentrike helps the kids and their families in our community communicate better with each other, and in turn hopefully they will become valuable and caring people. It warms my heart to hear how much the kids and their families enjoy the [Greentrike Cares] activities.”
She enjoys camping with her husband and dog, reading mysteries, and making sandwiches for the homeless alongside her friend.
“I try to have a positive attitude about people and life. It makes me happier and hopefully others too.” – Pam Ashby
Our volunteers are more than the time and energy they give. They are the life blood of our community and the agents who are crafting and upholding a shared sense of connection, history, and home. Thank you, Linda and Pam, for volunteering with us and building community with us.
This Mother’s Day, we invite you to share your stories with each other, and to listen, give, and love.
If you’re interested in volunteering with us, head to our Volunteer page to view current opportunities and to fill out an application form.
