Volunteers are an essential part of the mission and Mandy Richardville is no exception. Mandy has been a volunteer receptionist for over a year. In Mandy’s view, “Volunteering at the mission adds a sense of purpose to each week.” On a typical day, Mandy has a number of responsibilities: she monitors the front gate, answers phone calls, conducts over the phone interviews and schedules new families for intake appointments, all while handling whatever surprises the day holds. Most days, Mandy fields phone calls that are often heartbreaking, but she is thankful that she gets to hear these stories, as she can then play an active role in helping get families back on their feet. Mandy’s favorite part of volunteering is getting to see the families that she called to interview, move in, and become a part of our community. She says, “There is this wonderful feeling of hope and possibility!” More recently, Mandy has even been able to get her family involved in making a difference. Mandy’s son, James has been especially excited about helping others after he was able to celebrate his birthday by bringing his kindergarten class on a tour of the shelter. In this way, at any age it is possible to bring hope and change into the community.