Catherine Bartley
Updated: Mar 18, 2019
Catherine Bartley (Mrs. Claus) is a relatively new face at Arlington Charities who has been volunteering for about six months. Catherine enjoys visiting with the clients who come to shop, her friendly persona allowing her to make friends very easily. Sometimes the clients also make a lasting impression on Catherine, she reminisced about an older lady, who had never fallen upon hard times in her life, that spoke to her about how hard it was to come to Arlington Charities. Catherine told her that “we all need help at certain points in our life. Today I am lucky to be able to pay for my groceries. Who knows if that will be the case in ten years?” Catherine knows this lady by name now and thinks of her often. When not volunteering, Catherine is a spiritual director. She describes her job as “personal training for the soul.” She also loves reading and hiking.
Catherine would definitely recommend volunteering to others. There is always a lot to do at Arlington Charities and Catherine enjoys how busy volunteering keeps her. She says that “the worst thing that a person or a volunteer can feel is not having anything to do.” “Volunteers are just as much a part of the team as the paid staff” asserts Catherine. “People are happy here because the volunteers and staff are happy. Together they make this place hum.”
If you are a volunteer and would like to be featured on “Meet a Volunteer Monday,” please send us a message. Alternatively if you are inspired by Catherine’s story and would like to volunteer yourself, you can sign up at https://www.arlingtoncharities.org/volunteer.