My name is Mary, and I am one of the volunteers at Marian House Kitchen. I come on Thursdays and Fridays. I bring my friend Joann with me. We make salads together, and for the second shift, Joann serves water, and I do the coffee and tea. I have been volunteering for 16 years. It is a wonderful way to serve our brothers and sisters in need. I love all the other co-workers who come there with the same purpose to serve.
My life hasn’t been so easy in the past. I came from Japan in 1957 when I was 12 and in the 6th grade. I was raised by my Japanese grandmother out in the rice fields in the country. When my mother married an American soldier, I came to the USA to go to a state called Kansas. The beginning was super hard. I sat in the school classroom without understanding much of anything. I didn’t see another Japanese person anywhere. I felt isolated, lonely, and different from others.
In 1964 my mother died at the age of 40. Her weak heart gave up on her. She left my two very young sisters and me behind. When my stepfather was deployed to Vietnam, my two sisters were sent to live with his parents in Texas. I was on my own.
I went back to Japan to heal my heart from the loss of my mother. Two years later, I decided to come back to the USA. I knew that I could make a better life for myself here. Today, I have a family and a comfortable life. All the struggles I went through are behind me. I try to be a good role model for others. It is a wonderful calling to volunteer at the Marian House. I am so grateful for all the talents and gifts of the people who put the kitchen together.
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