Retired chef Ruth Anne Morley, of Kirkland, has spent nearly 4,000 hours of her time as a dedicated member of Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) working with Hopelink to meet community needs through volunteer service.

Because of her passion and enthusiasm for serving and helping others, she will be recognized on April 23 by Gov. Christine Gregoire along with 50 other outstanding volunteers from around the state who displayed exceptional commitment to their volunteer service and their community.

Over the past eight years her service has included teaching classes on how to prepare meals from food bank ingredients, transporting food bank donations, and preparing meals for food bank volunteers in four locations.

After her demanding but enjoyable job as a chef came to an end, Morley was left unsatisfied in retirement. She got into the business of volunteering when she went to Hopelink for assistance.

“I think I was led to Hopelink because I needed them and they needed me,” she said.

Hopelink offered cooking classes, so Morley volunteered to teach and hasn’t stopped volunteering since.

She is committed to volunteering and has no intention of slowing down as her passion for people and food fuels her forward. It is for this reason that she will be honored among the other nominees for excellence and dedication in volunteering to meet crucial needs in her community with a warm and giving attitude.

Morley was nominated for the Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Service Award by RSVP. RSVP is a National Service Program committed to encouraging and supporting volunteerism for people 55 and older throughout King County.

If you are interested in volunteering or learning more about RSVP, contact Jennifer Gahagan at jeng@solid-ground.org or 206-694-6785.