In honor of National Volunteer Month, we asked our volunteer team to answer the question: “why do you love volunteering with The Market Foundation”? and promised to post answers this week. Thanks to everyone who sent us your great answers and to the hundreds of volunteers who support the Market community every year. Here is part 1 of the responses!

Volunteers having fun at last year’s Arcade Lights

“My favorite thing about volunteering for The Market Foundation is that it is everything I have ever wanted to be a part of. The Foundation goes beyond being a foodie mecca, it is a place that supports the community with much needed services and sustainable practices. What is there not to love about being a part of that? I firmly believe food brings people together, whether it’s to the dinner table or getting to know your neighbor. Plus, I’m among friends when I geek out over my favorite market obsessions! I only wish I had stopped stuffing my face sooner and started volunteering much earlier!”

– Sandy

“I have been coming to the Market since I was a little girl. When I left home as a teenager, I would take the bus and hang out at the Market for hours! As a young mother, my son and I would spend the whole day there and now I as a Volunteer, there is no place I would rather be than the Pike Place Market to help out in all the amazing events we have going on here! I love the Christmas Lighting Ceremony and this year I helped with cookie decorating in our new kitchen. It was so much fun watching the kids get more frosting on their faces than on their cookies!”

-Holly