Among many who serve the community, she stands out
Food pantry coordinator singled out for volunteer award
BY CHRISTINE VARNO
Staff Writer

JEFF GRANIT staff Greta Butler (l) is acknowledged by Debrah Carr (r) and others at the Family & Children's Services meeting last month for receiving the Volunteer of the Year award.

LONG BRANCH - Long Branch resident Greta Butler has never asked for anything in return for her continual dedication to volunteering her time and services to help others.

But last month, she was shown just how important her selfless work has been to the community.

Family & Children's Services (FCS) on Bath Avenue recognized Butler at its Sept. 28 meeting for being singled out from among volunteers nominated by 65 agencies for their community service.

Butler received the Volunteer of the Year award from the Monmouth Park Charity Fund (MPCF) in August in a ceremony held at Monmouth Park racetrack.

"I was completely surprised," the lifelong Long Branch resident said last week.

"I know a lot of volunteers, and when I was told I was being nominated, I thought that was just a great thrill and honor in itself," she said.

Butler was nominated for the award by Jane Frotton, the director of volunteer services for FCS, for her 14-plus years of volunteer work at the agency's RSVP (Retired Seniors Volunteer Program) Food Pantry.

FCS is a nonprofit agency that assists over 10,000 Monmouth County residents through its 24 programs, one of which includes the food pantry.

"I was trying to think of someone who was really deserving," Frotton said last week. "[Butler} is someone who is always there for everyone. She doesn't leave a stone unturned.

"It is a real nice award for her," she said. "Even when the food pantry is closed, she is still doing work for it at her home."

Frotton manages eight FCS programs with close to 2,000 volunteers, and she said that Butler stood out as an obvious choice for the Volunteer of the Year nomination this year.

Frotton explained that the MPCF has been awarding the volunteer award each year since the 1940s and approximately 65 agencies participate in nominating someone for the award.

In the past six years, three of the award recipients have been FCS volunteers, Frotton said.

Butler, a registered nurse, began volunteering at the food pantry in 1992 after retiring as a nursing instructor for the Monmouth County Vocational School District.

"I have been working since I was 13 years old, so when I retired I knew I wanted to stay active," she said. "I wanted to keep on working, just not for money."

Butler has also volunteered at Our House, an adult day-care facility in Long Branch, and is still an active volunteer at the Monmouth Health Center on Broadway. She also volunteers with the Juvenile Conference Committee in Long Branch.

She is an active member of the Second Baptist Church in Long Branch and also sits on the advisory board for RSVP.

The bulk of Butler's time, though, is spent running the food pantry on Union Avenue, Frotton said.

"[Butler] is the kind of person who, if she sees there is not enough food at the pantry, would go into her own basement to find enough food," Frotton said.

From the get-go, Butler got right to business at the pantry, Frotton said, adding that Butler organized the pantry to make it more like a grocery store.

Butler's duties at the pantry also include speaking at various schools and other facilities to encourage donations of food and finances for the pantry; keeping the pantry clean, organized and the shelves stocked; and actively recruiting and orienting volunteers for work at the pantry.

In 1994, after two years of service to the pantry, Butler earned the title of volunteer coordinator for the pantry.

Butler has about 15 senior volunteers who work at the pantry and she and her staff do it all, Frotton said.

And Butler agreed.

"I do just about everything," Butler said, laughing. "I order the food, arrange the shelves, make sure we have as much food as we can get on the shelves, and I keep it neat and clean."

Butler also puts her heart into her work, according to Frotton.

"We give food to people at the pantry who are hungry and who don't have any money to buy food," she said.

The food pantry operates under regulations established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA requires that people qualify in order to receive service at the food pantry.

"They have to have a qualifier," Butler explained, such as Medicaid, food stamps or proof that they are below the poverty level.

"I have a rule. Anytime a new person comes in, they get food. Then we will explain what they have to do before coming back. Nobody ever gets turned away their first time," she said.

The emergency food pantry, located in the lobby of an apartment building, is open Monday through Friday from noon to 3 p.m. and serves more than 2,000 families a year, according to Butler.

The pantry provides food for residents from Long Branch and residents from any other town that does not have its own food pantry, Butler said.

In 1996, Butler was chosen as one of the recipients of a $2,000 donation from the Paul Newman Foundation for her volunteer efforts, which she promptly donated to the pantry, Frotton said.

Over the years, Butler has raised $461,675 in donated food and money from a variety of schools, organizations, churches and the general public, Frotton said.

"I think our mission is to feed as many people as we possibly can who need food," Butler said,

"I love volunteering," she said. "I love what I am doing."