David Dixon volunteers in two roles at ShareNet: as a Thrift Store shift lead and as a Grocery Rescue worker.

Dixon was one of those volunteers who got involved rather quickly at a deep level, giving a lot of his time to ShareNet each week.  The time he gives us is all the more remarkable because of all his other volunteer commitments: Gateway Visitor Center, Edmonds Center for the Arts, Stillwaters Environmental Center, Kingston Friends of the Library, and the Kitsap County Adopt-A-Road program.

Dave, is ShareNet a good fit for retirees?

ShareNet is a very good fit for retirees to keep them engaged and active, to expand their social connections, to contribute to their community, and to give a sense of doing something worthwhile.

Why are these volunteer experiences meaningful to you?

I very much enjoy doing all of these activities. I’ve done Stillwaters, Friends of the Library, and Adopt-A-Road for years, but ShareNet, Gateway, ECA, and the Human Rights Council volunteering have begun after retirement.  My retirement life is very fulfilling.

Tell us what you do at ShareNet?

As a shift lead in the Thrift Store, I accept donations, price items, cashier, display items for sale, answer questions from other volunteers, count and balance the cash register, and whatever else needs to be done.

In Grocery Rescue, I drive the ShareNet van to Albertsons to collect, weigh, and bring back surplus food to ShareNet and stock it. The Food Bank then distributes the food to clients. I have also represented ShareNet at special events such as EcoFest and Hometown Harvest.

With so many volunteer opportunities to choose from, why ShareNet?

ShareNet fit my interest in helping people and it was in my community. I liked all the people I initially met and the people I work with is a major reason why I like it so much. They all share my interest in helping people and have many other interests to share. Meeting ShareNet clients, Thrift Store customers, and workers at our donor organizations is a great way to stay active, involved, and mind-challenged.

When you retired, were you concerned about how you would spend all that new free time?

I retired in January 2013 after a 40-year Civil Service career, mostly with the Navy. I worked in Human Resources (staffing, EEO, and ADR).

Yes, I was concerned about how I would adjust to retirement and how to spend my time. I knew that I had to keep busy and wanted to do a variety of things, especially outdoors, rather than sitting at a desk which I’d been doing the previous 40 years.  Thus, I researched many volunteer opportunities that matched my many interests (e.g., helping people, travel, music and the arts, books and reading, the outdoors and sports).

Tell us more about your other volunteer work.

At Gateway Visitor Center five miles west of the Hood Canal Bridge at the Port Townsend turnoff, I provide information to tourists and others.

At the Edmonds Center for the Arts, I usher at performances.

I’m a member of the Kitsap County Human Rights Council and help plan and work at events such as the annual Youth Rally and the annual Kitsap County Human Rights Conference. I’ve always felt very strongly about equality and discrimination.

At Stillwaters Environ-mental Center, I help plan and work at special events such as EcoFest, their annual auction, and the annual book sale.

At Kingston Friends of the Library, I help plan and work at book sales and transport books as needed.

For the Kitsap County Adopt-A-Road Program, I pick-up litter along roads in the Jefferson Beach area of North Kitsap.

— Mark Ince is executive director of ShareNet.