Minnie has been our receptionist for about three years. She describes her job as “the person to meet people and to greet them with a smile. To let them know that they are loved and important. My title is a receptionist but I think my first job is to love and to care for people and to meet their needs.” She is also known around the office as “The General” because of the way she works to keep us focused and in line.
Minnie describes herself as a mother, a Christian, and a widow. She is the mother of six wonderful children. Her oldest being her son then followed by her five lovely daughters. Of her children, two of them have their own business, one is a caterer, one is a contractor with a degree in Logistics and Human Resources, and another works for Quicken Loans. Two of her daughters have served in the Navy for most of their life. One of them retired last year and her other has only 4 more years to go. Minnie also has 12 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren that she loves deeply.
Despite the challenges of raising 6 children, and living a life as a widow since 2006, Minnie has kept God close to her heart. She keeps his love in mind and uses that to guide her love of helping people. Her favorite part of her job is seeing the difference that the organization makes. “When you can help a person meet their daily needs and they can leave with a smile. And then you hear later all they say “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! That’s the best thing that can happen to a person. And I love that. I love it. I love how people come together and work together to help meet the needs of different people in the community.”
It’s been a handful of years since Minnie first knew about Friends In Deed. She found herself caught in the memories of passing by the building and donating clothes that her children outgrew. Minnie preferred to donate items to organizations that didn’t charge those who were already struggling to make ends meet. She hopes to see the organization grow and be able to help more clients, specifically our Furniture Program. Due to our location, our warehouse space is limited.
Minnie finishes off her interview with a few simple words for the community, “We all have needs and the best thing in life is to help someone meet their needs. And that’s about it.”