127 FCM COVER - Fox Cities Magazine

Arts & CultureThe Giftof TimeBy Dana BaumgartGive the intangible this holiday season byvolunteering — no wrapping paper requiredMary Harp-Jirschele knows the value of ahome-cooked meal, something most of us takefor granted. But for some residents of the FoxCities, a hot plate of food isn’t a given, it’s aluxury.Harp-Jirschele is one of the volunteersproviding food for residents at the EmergencyShelter of the Fox Valley in Appleton, a facilitythat provides temporary shelter to homelessindividuals and families. Once a month, Harp-Jirschele and a special group of 14 friends meetto prepare, serve and clean up a meal.“Food touches people and brings themtogether,” she says. "We feel good that we'redoing something for someone else."The group is so well-known and liked thatthe Emergency Shelter residents have giventhem and their supporting kitchen team a name.“I called once with a question and someonesaid, ‘Oh, you're the lovely ladies who cook onFridays. Everyone knows your group,’” saysHarp-Jirschele, who started the team nearly fiveyears ago. “We formally became ‘The LovelyLadies Cooking Team and Their Infamous PitCrew’ because wecouldn’t do it withoutour guys doing thedishes.”The Lovely Ladiestake their service to thenext level by decoratingthe dining area andusing themes for mealpreparations. For theirholiday meal, theypartner with FestivalFoods to serve steak andshrimp on china fromtheir own cupboardsand serve residents family-style instead of usinga food line to create an experience that feels likehome.Harp-Jirschele, who is currently theexecutive director for the J.J. Keller Foundationin Neenah, believes the best type ofvolunteering is the donation of time.“The truth is that we're a busy group ofwomen who have spent more time makingdecisions in board rooms than working in asetting like the Emergency Shelter kitchen,” shesays. “It was time we rolled up our sleeves in adifferent fashion to make a difference.”By the NumbersAccording to a national Volunteering inAmerica (VIA) survey, 62.8 million adultsvolunteered almost 8.1 billion hours in local andnational organizations in 2010.The same study, which was conductedbetween 2007-2010, ranked Appleton thirdamong the seven metropolitan statistical areasin Wisconsin in terms of volunteerism.“The Fox Cities has always had a strongconnection and passion for the many causes inour area,” says Susan Vanden Heuvel, director ofThe Lovely Ladies Cooking Team and Their Infamous Pit Crew.Photo courtesy of the Emergency Shelter of the Fox Valley.Holiday 201116