Donna Firpo

Daily Point of Light # 3301 Sep 28, 2006

Donna Firpo’s volunteerism with the Committee on Church Cooperation (CCC) has been primarily in the Clothing Closet area where on Thursdays and Fridays, she sorts, hangs, and arranges the clothing for clients to pick up on Wednesdays. On Wednesdays, Firpo makes sure that racks are constantly replenished with clothing so that the clients have plenty to choose from. She also volunteers her time to help with the Thrift Sale.

Firpo came to the CCC after her husband passed away. She immediately found her niche working in the Clothing Closet. Her organizational expertise has been instrumental in making the Clothing Closet much more customer friendly. Prior to Firpo coming in, many items would remain on the racks for several months. Now, because she knows basically every item that goes in, she will cull items that are not moving. This has become an indispensable service and she is now training new volunteers.

After Firpo’s husband passed away, she says she spent many days not even wanting to get out of bed. Her daughter encouraged her to become active in a volunteer organization. Firpo had always volunteered wherever she had lived before, so this seemed to be a natural fit. Donna called the CCC on a Thursday, and began volunteering the very next day.

The clothing closet serves over 200 families a month and distributes in excess of 6,000 articles of clothing monthly. Organization is the key to keep an operation such as this functioning. Firpo’s skills have impacted every client that walks through the Clothing Closet doors. She also helps many of the clients on Wednesday find appropriate clothing.

In addition to volunteering at the CCC, Firpo is also active in her church, and is a very busy grandmother. Firpo is the kind of volunteer every agency wants to have. She came to the Committee on Church Cooperation because she was in need of an activity to occupy her time, but the outcome has been that CCC needed her much more than she needed them.


jaytennier