Trish S. – Volunteer Site Coordinator at Herriman Fire Station

When/ how did you begin participating with Bountiful Baskets?

I first heard of Bountiful Baskets in 2009, on a couponing website. I started participating that Fall even though the closest pick up site was 15 miles away from my house. And I have been participating ever since.

Why did you become a Site Coordinator?

To be honest, I did it mostly to have a site near me! But also to be a part of something that brought so much to people’s lives. Healthy eating is important to me and I was always hearing people complain about how expensive fresh produce is. This solves that problem for people!

What is your favorite part about Bountiful Baskets?

I love that just by contributing for a basket I have essentially automated the fresh produce in our home. I don’t have to really think too much about it. Just pick it up and then find great ways to use it.

What is your favorite part about volunteering/running a site?

I have really enjoyed getting to know our regular volunteers and meeting new people. I love it when we get new participants and they just look so excited when they come for their first pick up.

What are your favorite basket items?

Mangoes, Brussels sprouts, berries and asparagus.

Tell us a little about your site & your co-Volunteer Site Coordinator.

My co-Volunteer Site Coordinator, Mollie, and I take turns running the site each week and cover for each other for vacations and such. We also each volunteer when it’s not our turn to be the VSC. She and her family have become our friends and I look forward to the time we get to work together each weekend. We run our site out of a beautiful new firestation building right around the corner from my house. We have a nice indoor space in the Winter and a great outdoor space, in the parking lot, in the Summer. The site is in a great location where we can enjoy pretty sunrises every Saturday morning. And we LOVE our firefighter hosts, they are always asking if there is anything they can do for us. They are so accommodating.

What makes your site fun – or unique?

We have a really good core of regular volunteers who enjoy showing new volunteers the ropes. And we get to run our site in a beautiful building with a view of gorgeous sunrises every Saturday morning.

What’s the craziest or silliest thing that has happened to you or at your site during baskets?

We must not be very crazy or silly because I can’t think of anything. ha! I think our participants appreciate that we are friendly and get the distribution done quickly so they can get on with their weekends.

Any weird basket dreams you’d like to share?

I don’t have too many basket dreams anymore. I used to dream that the cases of produce were being unloaded and they just kept coming and coming and coming, like clowns out of a tiny car!

How has BB changed your life?

It has made adding lots of fresh produce to our diets a no-brainer.

What do you do when you’re not doing BB?

I am the committee chair for our city’s community garden. That keeps me busy during the summer. And I enjoy making art and spending lots of time with our large and growing family.

Tell us a little about your family

My husband and I have 7 kids. 6 daughters and a son. Five of them are grown and have families of their own. We have a dozen or so grandkids, with some fluctuation for our “bonus” foster grandkids.

If you could have 1 super power… what would it be?

Teleportation. I’ve got so many places to go and things to see and so little time!

How many baby elephants did you contribute for last April?

None. lol

Anything else you’d like to share?

We might not be as silly and goofy as some of the Volunteer Site Coordinator’s at sites near us, or our VERY energetic and delightful Volunteer Area Coordinator, but we really care about our participants and we try to give them a quick distribution and a friendly start to their Saturday morning.