Volunteer Spotlight: Catherine and Al Blalock

Catherine and Al Blalock have been heavily involved in the Raleigh community since 1970. Before retiring, Catherine worked in healthcare and Al worked in human resources. They always had a human-centered view of the world and enjoyed interacting with people around them. Once they retired, it was an obvious choice to volunteer. They are currently volunteering at the Raleigh Rose Garden and have volunteered previously at the USO at the RDU airport, and even helped seniors and retirees with their tax returns thru the VITA program. In 2022, they noticed the bee hives on the Farm while passing by and were interested in the plot of land in the middle of the city. They learned the scope of the organization and have been volunteering consistently ever since.

To them, volunteering is a great way to stay active and work for a good cause. The farm gives them the opportunity to get some good healthy exercise, be outdoors, and do some good to help others. They said that volunteering is “a guaranteed positive feeling” that they get to share together and feels more special when doing it with their spouse. Outside of volunteering, Catherine’s passion is working with fabric as a “sewist”. She’s designed and made about 30 wedding gowns for brides of friends and family! Al enjoys playing golf and being on the water. His fun fact? If you’ve ever eaten a Slim Jim, you can thank him. He worked for the company that makes Slim Jims for 30 years. If you find yourself on the farm, try to find these fine folks and say hi.

Thank you, Al and Catherine, for all that you do!