I met Richard previously through my best friend Bev, who also hails from England.  I quite enjoyed  interviewing this engaging personality.

Richard began volunteering for the Co-op five or six years ago.  He puts together the informational back page of the Co-op newsletter. Richard has a background in communications, having worked as communications officer for local government, and as a sports writer for the Camden New Journal newspaper in London. He ends each newsletter back page with the Vigil for Peace, which he sees as the anchor for the page – both as the final entry and as the representation of a harmonious community. Richard says of our newsletter editor, “I love working for Bill, Bill's an awesome dude.”

Heather volunteers by creating and sampling out produce in various forms, from slicing fresh fruit and veggies to making things like lettuce wraps, guacamole, quinoa, and tabouli dishes. The only limit to her creative license is that samples must feature items from the produce section.  Heather says, “It's really fun because I can do whatever I want.”  She tries to highlight local produce that's in season and was happy to see the bright and delicious homegrown tomatoes appear. She finds it “great fun to work with the people in the produce department.”  They are good to her and are grateful for her coming up with creative ways to showcase the produce.

Erika moved to Pullman in May 2010 and joined the Co-op the next day. She is “one of those people who refuses to be bored and lonely when moving somewhere new.”  She began volunteering at the Co-op within a month or two, first helping a little at the grower's market, then peeling garlic while having splendid conversations with Sam last fall.  She is now working with the FACT team, and will be the main volunteer giving tours to students this fall.

I first saw Jessie at a contra dance, smiling as we slipped by in a ladies chain. It was nice to have this opportunity to get to know her better. Jessie not only attends contra dances, she is on the Palouse Folklore Society board and arranges callers and bands to come and play.  Jessie loves to dance and is skilled in Irish step dancing. She likes “bouncing around a lot and the high action” of Irish and Highland dancing. She started dancing in Spokane when she was college age and later danced in Eugene where she would accompany a bag pipe band in a converted ski bus to dance festivals. 

The bag pipes are responsible for romance in Jessie's life.  She heard Ben playing bagpipes and liked him a lot, so she took bagpipe lessons to get to meet him.  It was mutual attraction – they are now married and have a 3-year-old son, Seamus.

Within minutes of meeting Donna I was drawn into her energetic passion for improving life for people and the planet. She began volunteering for the Outreach committee with Carol Spurling, then moved to helping Sequoia as part of the FACT (Farmer Advocacy Crop Team.) This group surveys what's in season with local farmers, creates recipes, then samples them out while telling people about where the foods come from and how to eat local.

When Donna went back to school, time constrains caused her to shift her volunteering job at the Co-op. Recently she staffed the voting booth and her son, Dane, worked throughout April as the 'Bag Monster.” You may have seen his imposing figure making the rounds through the store. Sometime soon Donna will begin writing for the Co-op website.