You Never Know When You Might Be the One in Need

From childhood volunteering to Donate Dinner, Rebecca Ho finds joy in giving back with her family by her side.

By Rebecca Ho

I began volunteering as a kid, when my grandma was president of the American Legion Post 1. I’d pour juice at the brunches, help set up for bingo nights, decorate floats for the Portland Rose Festival parade in the spring, and make food boxes for families in need during the holidays.

Then, in high school, life changed. My family temporarily moved into a women’s shelter — and we became the family receiving those food boxes. The most impactful moment for me was when a family “adopted” us for Christmas. They brought dinner, the gifts my little sisters had written to Santa for, and even a TV! I still hope to someday be in a position to do something that big and generous for another family.

As a single working mom with limited time and funds, I leaned into paid volunteer days through my employers. Knowing I could give back to the community without missing a payday made it easier — and even better when I could bring family along. We’ve filled food bags at the Oregon Food Bank, delivered tulips for the Easter Seals, helped with parades, donated to the Raphael House, worked at Habitat for Humanity, and served monthly dinners at the Portland Mission. When my daughter, Ashtyn, got older, my husband, Ian, encouraged her to volunteer at the Wichita Community Center one summer to get work experience. She also volunteered as a golf coach for children, which eventually became a paid job.

The pandemic made in-person volunteering hard. Ian began collecting nonperishable food from neighbors and dropping it off at the community center, where staff were working harder than ever without their usual volunteers. He also cleaned up our local park after some protesters came through and wrote on the tables and equipment. Now, he spends every Saturday at Providence Hospital, helping patients find their way to appointments.

The pandemic is what led us to Meals on Wheels People. We started by calling dozens of seniors by phone to check in on them — safe for everyone but still meaningful. This put us on the mailing list for Meals on Wheels People, and that’s how we learned about Donate Dinner. Of all the volunteering we’ve done, this is by far the most fun. My sister, Laura, and I can be a little competitive, seeing who convinces the most shoppers to take a Donate Dinner card. We make it a family affair — me greeting customers, Ian handing out cards, my mom wishing people happy holidays as they leave. We celebrate every person who tells us they donated at checkout. Acknowledging people’s efforts really motivates them to get involved.

For years, we volunteered quietly. We thought talking about it might look like bragging. But we’ve changed our thinking — showing how much fun volunteering can be inspires others to get out there and do their part.

And you never know when you might be the one on the receiving end, like we once were.