Celebrating Volunteer Appreciation Week: Meet Gaile Collins
This April 19th-25th, we are celebrating Volunteer Appreciation Week, a week dedicated to recognizing the contributions our volunteers make to every aspect of Loudoun Hunger Relief and our mission to feed our neighbors in need of food.
We have over 350 regular volunteers who work in every role we have here at LHR. Van/truck drivers, warehouse workers, market greeters, admin assistants…you name it, our volunteers step up to the plate and do it. Their combined efforts equal the work of 7.5 full-time employees, just over a third of our workforce! One of those volunteers helping provide our neighbors with food is Gaile Collins.
Meet Gaile
Gaile Collins has been with Loudoun Hunger Relief, volunteering in our office, for 14 years. Since 2012, she has answered phones, made client appointments, and helped out with special projects. Gaile’s patience and compassion when speaking to clients is admired by all of us at LHR, a skill that she picked up during her 45-year career as a high school teacher and guidance counselor.
Gaile began teaching English to high school students in Maryland, shaping young minds for 17 years before landing in Falls Church, where she would spend 28 years as a guidance counselor. According to her, working in a diverse area taught her many things and helped her be able to look at every person she comes across with a compassionate and helpful light. A light that shines brightly in her work at Loudoun Hunger Relief. Gaile not only brings smiles to the faces of the people we serve, but she is also a warm and encouraging presence to staff and other volunteers when she comes into our office twice a week.
Last year, Gaile’s efforts in surveying senior neighbors to connect them with much-needed community resources earned her the Loudoun Hunger Relief Shining Star Award. A well-deserved recognition for a powerful individual who has devoted her life to helping others.
Join Us In Our Mission and Saying Thank You
Volunteers like Gaile are the heart of Loudoun Hunger Relief, bringing compassion, dedication, and care to every interaction. During Volunteer Appreciation Week, we are proud to celebrate Gaile and the hundreds of volunteers who make our work possible each day. Their commitment ensures that our neighbors are not only fed but welcomed with dignity and kindness. If you’re inspired by Gaile’s story, we invite you to join our volunteer community or donate to our mission and be part of the impact.
