Volunteers of the Month: Carry-Out Caravan Order Takers

Our order takers are an essential part of Cultivate’s grocery service. They are often the friendly voice our clients hear each week, helping them place their orders, answering questions, offering suggestions, and providing a familiar connection that can mean just as much as the groceries themselves.

We are fortunate to have such a dedicated group of volunteers serving our Boulder, Broomfield, and Longmont communities. Here are some of the wonderful people behind those phone calls.

Ginny C. — Longmont

Ginny has been taking orders for Longmont for the past ten years. She was born and raised in Pasadena, California, and moved to Colorado after retirement because her children were attending CU.

Over the years, Ginny has had many different vocations. She worked as a corporate manager, was a longtime potter and gallery owner, and spent nine years as a gardener for a golf course. Today, she is a happy volunteer at Cultivate, where she takes orders, shops, double-checks orders, and occasionally delivers groceries. Being involved in so many parts of the process gives Ginny the opportunity to complete the circle and experience the full intent of Cultivate’s primary service. She even recruited her husband to deliver groceries for Longmont!

Ginny says there are so many benefits to taking orders. She has made new friends, both in person and over the phone, and enjoys the reward of hopefully adding value to each person’s day. She loves sharing small talk about families, helping clients come up with grocery ideas when they aren't quite sure how to describe what they need, and comparing stories about their pets and sharing laughs about their behavior.

Most of all, Ginny emphasizes the family feeling among the volunteers who work together to make the grocery service possible.

“There is a real family feeling within all of the volunteers it takes to fulfill the grocery service we offer,” she says. “And loads of fun at the same time!”

Stephanie M. — Longmont

Stephanie is another one of our dedicated Longmont order takers. She has been working the same shift for more than five years.

Stephanie was born in North Dakota, raised in Wyoming, and moved to Colorado after college. She spent her professional career in the title insurance business and also co-owned JJ Wells, a women’s apparel shop, for 37 years. She retired about ten years ago and is now working hard to fill her vacation bucket list!

Her favorite part of taking orders is getting to know our clients. She loves talking with them, exchanging stories, and fostering friendships. Stephanie says she is especially happy to talk with them and take their orders after returning from vacation, when she hasn't spoken with them for a couple of weeks.

“Our clients are the best and kindest people I know,” she says.

In her free time, Stephanie enjoys walking and hiking, reading a good book, gardening, and spending time with her boyfriend, Steve.

Annette W. — Longmont & Boulder

Annette has been taking orders for both Longmont and Boulder for the past twelve years. She grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, where she met her high school sweetheart 37 years ago. They have been married for 29 years. Her husband, Kelly, is also a Cultivate volunteer and drives for our VetsGo program.

Annette loves everything about Cultivate and the programs we provide for our senior community. She knows how much our clients rely on Cultivate and our dedicated volunteers to help them remain independent, and she is proud to be part of the organization and the wonderful staff and volunteers she gets to see each week.

One of Annette’s favorite parts of taking orders is getting to know our clients and hearing about their families, how they are doing, whether they are getting out and about, and whether they are receiving the medical care they need. She also enjoys learning if there is anything specific Cultivate can provide for them.

On more than one occasion, Annette has surprised clients by purchasing items they wished they could get but couldn't find at King Soopers and delivering them to their homes. She gets tremendous personal gratification from getting to know the people she serves.

“I just love when we make each other laugh,” she says.

Annette also writes personal birthday cards for all of our clients—approximately 800 cards so far! She finds it incredibly rewarding to know how surprised and appreciative they are when the cards arrive.

In her free time, Annette enjoys gardening, playing with her beagles, reading, spending time with friends, cooking, and trying new recipes—even when they don't turn out quite as planned!

Before retiring, Annette worked with the Boulder Valley School District in a variety of roles, including administration, community outreach, student organizations, PTO parent engagement, fundraising, and asset allocation. For more than 15 years, she was actively involved in just about everything happening at Bear Creek Elementary and Southern Hills Middle School while her three children attended.

Donna P. — Boulder

Donna has been a Boulder order taker for almost five years. She grew up on a farm in the far western part of Kentucky. Although Kentucky is her birthplace, Donna says Colorado is her home.

She retired 23 years ago after working with the Colorado State Government’s Division of Child Welfare Services. When she retired, she was managing an analytic unit that provided data and information to the federal government, the Colorado Legislature, and Colorado counties.

Donna jokes that retirement is the only thing about aging that she can recommend!

She spends her leisure time walking, reading, traveling when possible, and working out with a personal trainer.

For Donna, one of the most rewarding parts of taking orders is talking with our callers and knowing that helping them place their grocery orders contributes to their well-being and their ability to continue living independently.

Our clients also know Donna by her sweet Southern drawl and genuine hospitality.

BJ M. — Broomfield

BJ has been an order taker for Broomfield for almost six years. She started during COVID and has been a dedicated volunteer ever since.

BJ grew up in Brighton and is one of three sisters. Before retiring, she worked in the mortgage brokerage industry.

In her free time, BJ enjoys spending time with her family, exploring new restaurants, hiking, skiing, and walking. She also enjoys tending to her indoor plants.

BJ loves talking with clients and getting to know them beyond simply learning their shopping habits. She also enjoys coming into the office because of the friendships she has developed with Cultivate staff and fellow volunteers.

Barb A. — Broomfield

Barb is the afternoon order taker for Broomfield and has been part of the team for more than six years. She also started during COVID and has remained a dedicated volunteer ever since. In addition to taking orders, Barb is a regular shopper for Boulder.

What Barb loves most about being an order taker is the opportunity to get to know women from a different generation and learn the many fascinating and unexpected things they have experienced.

Barb also understands the value and importance of being able to call in a grocery order. For clients who cannot place an order online, the phone provides an accessible alternative. Just as importantly, calling in each week allows clients to have regular contact with the same familiar people and helps them feel remembered and connected.

Mona L. — Broomfield

Mona has been an order taker for the Broomfield store since the beginning of COVID, nearly six years. She originally started with Cultivate as a VetsGo driver. During the height of COVID, Mona and her husband, Bob, also jumped in to help shop for several years while Cultivate was handling hundreds of orders each week and is a current SnowBusters volunteer.

Mona grew up in what she affectionately calls “New stinkin’ Jersey”—not in the pretty part, but not the worst part either! She moved to Colorado right out of college in 1978 and spent her professional career working in customer service for high-tech companies in Boulder and Longmont.

Now retired, Mona enjoys playing bridge and mahjong. She and her husband, Bob, a former Cultivate volunteer recruited during COVID, help run a duplicate bridge game at the Longmont Senior Center.

When asked what she loves most about taking orders, Mona simply says, “My peeps!”

She really enjoys getting to know the clients who call during her shift and goes out of her way to make sure they are taken care of and that their orders are complete.

And Mona isn't the only member of her household who enjoys coming to Cultivate. Her dog, Rooney, is one of our honorary office dogs and comes in with her each week. Rooney loves coming to “work”—which apparently means sleeping, getting lots of treats, and seeing all of her favorite human and canine pals at Cultivate!

Diane M. — Boulder, Broomfield & Longmont

Diane is one of our dedicated substitute order takers for Boulder, Broomfield, and Longmont. She has been part of the team for almost three years and jumps in for the majority of our open shifts because she lives close to the office.

Diane grew up in the Houston area and worked as an auditor in the banking and higher education industries. Her attention to detail makes her a fantastic order taker.

Now retired, Diane spends her time working on home projects, camping, and volunteering with Cultivate and Pet Pantry. She is super crafty and spirited, loves Halloween, and helps decorate our office with her festive holiday decorations!

Diane says taking an order can sometimes be challenging, but it is also incredibly satisfying to know how much we are helping people who are truly grateful for our services and dedication.

Lis G. — Boulder, Broomfield & Longmont

Lis is one of our substitute order takers for all three stores. She is also a regular Longmont volunteer, where she shops and checks out groceries. She has been volunteering with Cultivate for four years.

Lis grew up in Massachusetts and spent her professional career in engineering and IT software contract management.

In her free time, she enjoys walking her dogs, reading books, going to the gym, and having lunch with friends.

Lis makes an especially good order taker because she is also a shopper. She understands the challenges of finding the correct items when there isn't quite enough information in an order. She also enjoys the conversations with clients and hearing about their lives.

Tony D. — Boulder, Broomfield & Longmont

Tony is our only male order taker and fills in occasionally at all three stores whenever he can.  Clients enjoy his big booming voice greeting them on the other end of the line!

Tony first started volunteering with Cultivate as a Fix-It volunteer 13 years ago and began volunteering with Carry-Out Caravan in 2017. During COVID, he became a shopper and delivery driver, and he currently drives regularly for Boulder.

Tony grew up in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. He originally worked as a chemist before going back to school to earn a degree in computer science. His longest job tenure was in a department where he was able to combine both fields.

Now retired, Tony enjoys traveling, seeing live music, and spending time with his wife and six grandchildren.

What Tony likes most about taking orders is the opportunity to talk with clients and connect with them beyond simply taking their grocery orders—even when some of them can be a little verbose!

Heidi P. — Boulder

Heidi started as a substitute three months ago and quickly jumped at the opportunity to take on a weekly order-taking shift for Boulder. Originally from South Dakota, Heidi spent her professional career in high tech as a global marketing manager. Now retired, she enjoys spending her free time creating through painting, mixed-media art, and metalsmithing.

Although Heidi is our newest addition to the team, her attention to detail and technical skills have already made her a tremendous asset. She quickly picked up on the nuances of order-taking and knew exactly what questions to ask clients to gather the information needed for the items on their lists.

Heidi says that talking with clients is especially rewarding. By helping take their orders, she feels she is making a meaningful contribution to their well-being—and we’re so glad to have her on the team!

Thank You to Our Order Takers

Every grocery order represents more than a list of items. It is an opportunity for connection, conversation, and reassurance. Our order takers help ensure that clients feel heard, remembered, and cared for week after week.

Whether they have been volunteering for more than a decade or joined us during COVID, each of these volunteers brings something special to Cultivate. Their dedication, humor, kindness, and willingness to go the extra mile are a vital part of what makes our grocery service—and our Cultivate community—so special.

Thank you to all of our wonderful order takers for the countless conversations, carefully placed orders, laughs, friendships, and connections you make possible every day!