VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: JEANETTE HURST OF SPRINGFIELD

By Elizabeth Roman

Reprinted With Permission from The Brown Bag Beat of The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts

She seems to have a permanent smile on her face, she’s well spoken, charming and at 80 still looks lean and strong. Jeanette Hurst has been the Brown Bag site coordinator for Saab Court in Springfield for the past three years. She took it on after the previous coordinator suffered a stroke and could no longer do the job.

Soon she will be resigning from the post. As she stated, “My doctor said I must slow down and stop doing so much.” The doctor is right; Jeanette sure has done a lot. A native of Springfield, she raised her five children on her own. Jeanette was known as a neighborhood mom in her day. “I always had the neighborhood kids coming around here. I used to make food for everybody,” she said reminiscing. “I don’t remember some of them, but they remember me,” she said.

And so it will be with the Brown Bag volunteers who have worked with her these past few years. Among those who have worked with Jeanette are Eva Collina and Alice Cardona, who are very involved with the Brown Bag Program. “Let me just say, she’s a superwoman! I could never do what she does. And she is such a hard worker, always does everything and never reneges,” said Eva. “Jeanette seems to get along well with all of the tenants and the people she works with. She organizes her work very well,” said Alice.

Jeanette has spent most of her life helping others and she wouldn’t change that for the world. She is now training two other volunteers to take over the role of coordinating the program. “I enjoy doing it, helping people. I have so much and if I can give to people who need it then I’m going to do it,” she said.

The Food Bank thanks Jeanette, Eva and Alice for their service to The Brown Bag Program. n