We asked Stu to share a little about why he chooses to spend his time volunteering with Homeworthy, and what he might say to someone else who is thinking about getting involved. We can always use more hands, and volunteers like Stu make a real difference in what we’re able to do.
Q: How long have you volunteered with Homeworthy? Why did you start?
Stu: My stepdaughter, Rebecca, was a social worker and a fighter for social justice. She walked the walk in her professional and personal lives. In April 2025, her example spurred me to get out of my overstuffed chair and try to do some good via Homeworthy.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about your volunteer role, and working at Homeworthy in general?
S: I've worked in some high-profile arenas and high-pressure environments. Hearing someone say "thank you" and express sincere gratitude were not common occurrences. (Note to former workmates: Don't get me wrong, please. I enjoyed our many, many years together and appreciated being your colleague.) Top to bottom and everywhere in between, the folks associated with Homeworthy — staff members, volunteers, clients — have made every experience an ennobling one. Add in the knowledge that we're committing ourselves, in ways large and small, to the common purpose of helping people gain security in their lives and regain pathways to better days, well, you can't top that.
Q: What’s something you wish the general public understood more about this work?
S: It's not work — it's life enhancement, for Homeworthy clients and Homeworthy volunteers. The volunteer is a bridge of sorts between Homeworthy's marvelous assembly of staffers and those in need of Homeworthy services. Our helping hands help others reach where they want and need to go.
In my own case, my professional life leaned on three pounds of gray matter between my ears, a computer keyboard, and a telephone. There are 165 or so pounds more of me that haven't made much of a contribution over the years. With Homeworthy, I'm on call to move clients to new homes, clear out packed storage units, pick up mattresses and furniture, or rehome excess items from the Thriftworthy store. Now I can say all of me is doing some good.
Q: Why do you think other people should get involved?
S: The volunteer opportunities with Homeworthy come in all shapes, sizes, and forms. Each in its own way can help someone — a child, teen, mom, dad, single adult, you name it — live a better life, one in which there's a person (aka, Homeworthy staffer and volunteer) who the client knows respects and values them as a worthy member of our community.
