Upon retiring ten years ago, Dena was looking for a way to give back when she discovered Friends In Deed. After reaching out to several local organizations, it was Tim, the Director of the Food Pantry, who responded first. “Come on in!” he said. From the moment she stepped through the doors, Dena felt at […]
Spreading Smiles and Compassion: Dena’s Story Read More »
Lily is one of our Master of Social Work (MSW) interns at Friends In Deed. The internship program is proving to be a very positive experience for everyone involved – Friends In Deed and our clients benefit greatly from the extra skilled help in our programs, and our interns get valuable experience in the field.
Lily’s Story – A Bigger Toolkit Read More »
Mishele had just moved to Pasadena and was looking for a way to connect with the community. She heard about Friends In Deed, looked us up online, read about The Women’s Room, and got in touch. She has been involved in making lunch for The Women’s Room on a monthly basis ever since! As a
Mishele’s Story – Always a Lunch on the Table Read More »
Annie has a deep connection to the work we do on both a personal and a professional level – she is studying for a masters degree in social work, but also researches nonprofit organizations for her employer, a local philanthropist. When she first visited us, Annie says that she “fell in love” with Friends In
Annie’s Story – Checking Her Own Stuff at the Door Read More »
By profession, Kanchi is a screenwriter with film production and set skills, but she lost her work during the writers’ strike and that, plus going through a divorce, put her at risk of homelessness. Fortunately her life is now reasonably stable, but this experience has left her with a profound connection to the guests we
Kanchi’s Story – Profound Connection Read More »
John has a long and distinguished history as a Friends In Deed volunteer. He started helping out as a grant writer in 2009, but soon found a more permanent home in our Food Pantry. For a while, when he was between jobs, he was volunteering full time! These days, he carves out time for us
John’s Story – Perspective and Empathy Read More »
Liz is not typical of the volunteers we feature in this newsletter. For one thing, she has never actually volunteered at Friends In Deed! In fact, she works at Union Station Homeless Services, and is married to Friends In Deed staffer William Shelby – so she is practically one of the family. But back when
Liz’s Story – A Grass-Roots Initiative Read More »
Following a career as a deputy sheriff in the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department, it turned out that JP wasn’t done with public service. Through his involvement with Pasadena First United Methodist Church he began volunteering with Friends In Deed’s Bad Weather Shelter many years ago – setting up cots and cooking and serving dinner
JP’s Story – Public Service Read More »
Brooke has been a dedicated volunteer in The Women’s Room (TWR) for eight years. Even during the pandemic lockdown she found a way to contribute: she was one of the volunteers who regularly called our clients to check how they were doing. Some of the ladies would talk for an hour or more, needing the
Brooke’s Story – Spiritual Practice Read More »
Sophie first became aware of Friends In Deed through her grandmother – FID Board Secretary Debby Singer! So when it came time to do her Bat Mitzvah project, she chose to do a sock drive for our Street Outreach and Housing team, knowing that clean dry socks are a wonderful gift to people on the
Sophie’s Story – Connecting Remotely Read More »
