GRN Volunteer Spotlight - September 2022

Meet Laide (pronounced Lye Day, like FriDay)!

GRN is blessed to be supported by a dedicated cadre of volunteers. We are starting. a new series to highlight the diversity of amazing people that make our community work a success.

Laide, what do you like about GRN?

I enjoy how hands-on the organization is…which gives the name “Grassroots” more weight and makes it less of a cliché. It’s inspiring to see a dedicated group of volunteers spending their time and money to help our neighbors who are dealing with food and housing insecurity. What’s even more incredible is seeing some of the individuals and families who have been recipients of GRN’s support return as volunteers.

Laide, what do you do when you’re not volunteering?

I enjoy exercising, riding my bike along the beach, listening to music/podcasts, and playing the drums. I also enjoy working on my business (link: Pickitarian.com). More importantly, I love spending time with my family and friends as well as relaxing.

Laide, how did you get here?

I was born and raised in Nigeria and moved to the U.S. when I was younger. Like many immigrants, I was mainly focused on the “hustle”, spending all my time trying to achieve the American dream and making the most of every opportunity. Unfortunately, it took me experiencing severe burnout to reset and re-evaluate some of my priorities in life. Volunteering consistently was on my list of priorities. I’ve always cared about food/homeless insecurity as it is still bewildering to me that many folks in such a rich nation have to experience this. I’ve volunteered sporadically throughout the years but was always yearning for an organization whose mission and practices were one I could get behind. I learned about Grassroots Neighbors a few years ago but was always “too busy” to check it out. As the saying goes, “Better late than never”. I’m glad to be a dedicated volunteer and partner with the Grassroots Neighbors organization. I look forward to helping the organization achieve its vision to end poverty.

Categories

All Event GRN In The News Spotlight Volunteers