Volunteer of the Month: Holly Foti and Christin Mixon
by Mel Rubenstein
The Rescue Mission Thrifty Shopper and 3fifteen stores have reopened after being shut down as a result of the coronavirus.
As a member of Dewitt Rotary I attend meetings on Mondays, and typically sit at a table along with Carolyn Hendrickson. Carolyn is the senior philanthropy officer of the Rescue Mission, and while speaking with her it didn’t take long for me to know how much I did not know about the Rescue Mission. And, I found out that volunteers are an important way for the RM to accomplish its mission.
The Rescue Mission serves individuals overcoming homelessness, food insecurity abuse/domestic violence, addictions, and mental illness. These programs provide safe lodging, food, clothing, case management, counseling, advocacy, education, referrals, spiritual and other supportive services.
Hendrickson recommended that Holly Foti, of Dewitt, be featured as one of those volunteers. She also suggested that I visit Christin Mixon, merchandising manager of the Rescue Mission Alliance’s donation center warehouse in Liverpool.
A couple of days later I went to the warehouse and was greeted by Foti and Mixon.
The warehouse is where all the donations collected at the Wegman’s and Walmart’s donation centers are sorted, tagged and trucked back out to the 18 Thrifty Shopper stores. This includes the two boutique thrift stores called 3fifteen stores. During a tour of this massive 60,000 square foot building I immediately gained an appreciation of what the Rescue Mission means to the greater Central New York area. Mixon pointed out how the sections for clothing donations, appliances, furniture, and sporting goods are separated, and inspected for quality.
This is quite a job, but knowing Mixon’s background you will see why the Rescue Mission is in good hands. After Mixon attended Tully High School she went to Harvard University where she received a degree in sociology.
She wanted to take advantage of her degree in sociology by going to work for a not-for-profit organization, and as luck would have it, the Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse had an opening. It all worked out, because since 2014 she has been working for the Rescue Mission, first as an executive assistant to the executive director to her current position of merchandising manager overseeing the operation of the warehouse in Liverpool.
After the Erie Canal opened thousands of individuals and families came to the area looking for jobs. It wasn’t long before many of these people had needs—needs that included rebuilding their broken lives.
The Rescue Mission of Syracuse was founded in 1887 to provide for these needs. At that time the west side of Syracuse was where most of the influx of people settled. Eventually, the Rescue Mission opened a facility on Gifford Street, near all of that activity, located on 8.5 acres between Gifford and Dickerson Streets. That was the beginning of what would become the Rescue Mission Alliance campus, which includes several facilities that feed, clothe, and house people in need, and a chapel with a chaplain on staff for their spiritual needs. The Mission serves an average of 600 meals a day to the hungry and homeless and in 2019 helped 9,600 individuals.
The Rescue Mission has people on staff who interact with organizations like Vera House and InterFaith Works CNY.
These organizations, by their very nature, are in a position to recommend certain people with needs be referred to the Rescue Mission.
“All of this takes money, with 60% coming from revenues from the Thrift Stores, 10% from grants, and 30% from fundraisers,” Mixon said.
To make all this happen takes volunteers, and one of those volunteers is Foti.
Foti was born in Baltimore and attended the University of Maryland, where she majored in design and business. She also played women’s lacrosse for the Maryland championship team 1986. She married Dean Foti and has three daughters, Riley, Lainey and Sophia.
Foti’s business career has been with Talbot’s, a women’s clothing and apparel store. She is now in her 24th year with the business and has served in various management positions over the years and is now a multi-store manager in the Syracuse/Utica area. She said, “I raised my family while working at Talbot’s.”
Foti has also volunteered for Meals on Wheels, Helping Hounds, and was the club administrator of the Fusion Soccer Club, and also a coach for JD Youth Athletic Association when her girl’s played lacrosse.
While operating the Talbot’s stores Foti met Hendrickson, and they built a relationship.
Knowing that Hendrickson was involved with the Rescue Mission, Foti said, “I was somewhat familiar with the organization and told Carolyn that I wanted to learn more about what they do and who they support.”
Foti learned that the Rescue Mission is a non-profit and, provides every day to those in need. She began volunteering at the Rescue Mission in 2019.
It was clear to Foti that without volunteerism nonprofit organizations cannot fulfill their mission.
“Seeing how important Thrifty Stores are to the vitality of the mission of the RM, I wanted to contribute in a small way,” she said.
Foti feels that everyone has a talent they can offer, whether it is merchandising, servicing clients, or sorting clothes, there is always something they can do at the RM.
Fort example, Foti has done some merchandising in the stores and is currently volunteering at the distribution center sorting clothes.
Foti wants everybody to know, “I really believe that volunteering benefits the giver and receiver. It gives me a greater sense of purpose knowing I can help people in need and for being part of the community. It keeps me stimulated by learning something new and gives me a sense of accomplishment.”
After writing 95 Volunteer of the Month columns in the Eagle Bulletin, this columnist could not have said it better. But, one thing I have learned — our community has no shortage of dedicated volunteers.
Want to volunteer? Visit RescueMissionAlliance.org, click on the volunteer tab and create a profile listing your preferences. Director of Volunteer Services, Glenna Croy will reach out and help you get started. As many volunteers report, they “get more out of their volunteering than they receive”.
To recommend someone with a stellar record of volunteering to be featured in this
Column contact Mel Rubenstein: [email protected] or call 315-682-7162.
Submitted photo
Christin Mixon, Holly Foti and Carolyn Hendrickson.
