Volunteer Marianne Cappuccia Makes a Difference…
For more than 15 years, Marianne Cappuccia has been a volunteer in the Clothing Center.
Every Tuesday morning, Marianne arrives early and begins the day by organizing the sorting area to make room for incoming donations and space for her and the other volunteers to work.
Marianne volunteers because she likes to help people. “I enjoy seeing the clients, many of whom come into the Clothing Center on a regular basis. I’ve gotten to know them and their family members. We talk and I catch up on how they’re all doing.” She also looks forward to working alongside the Tuesday morning group of volunteers, which includes her daughter Maria Vozzo. “We work well together, helping the clients and each other.” After all these years, Marianne says they’re like a family.
Because clients select free clothing for themselves and family members, they are able to use their limited financial resources for other basic needs. Marianne finds that her efforts are always appreciated and personally fulfilling, but some experiences are particularly memorable. “A woman who came in was looking for a suit in which her husband could be buried because nothing he had was appropriate. We were not only able to find the right suit in the correct size; we were also able to console her while doing so. Before she left, we were all hugging and crying.”
Her generosity extends beyond her volunteer duties. Marianne and her husband of more than 50 years are active members of the Saint Ann Club in Norwalk. In part because of their involvement, Person-to-Person received a $5,000 donation from the organization’s Charity Golf Classic in 2015.
Volunteers like Marianne and Maria are the backbone of P2P. They perform essential functions at all levels — managing programs, scheduling and meeting with clients, picking up in-kind donations, sorting food and clothing for the Food Pantry and Clothing Center, or serving as board members and on various volunteer committees.
With every task that Volunteers undertake, they demonstrate their commitment to the P2P Mission and their desire to make a difference in the lives of others.
