If it’s a day ending in “y” Linda Lo is serving others.

“There’s a feeling that you get when you’re able to help someone,” she said. “And I feel that when, when people get together and then they can do good together, it really shows.”

What You Need To Know

Linda Lo volunteers several times a week

Representatives from different organizations often meet Linda at other volunteering opportunities and recruit her to help out in the future 

She says she has made lifelong friends by giving back and that it has helped her stay active

On this day, Lo is at the Salvation Army’s Staten Island Port Richmond Community Center. She is helping at their weekly soup kitchen.

“It’s a place they can come and, you know, come in and… and have a meal and get something to eat,” she said.

This is one of the nearly a dozen places where the Graniteville resident actively volunteers.

“Trinity Lutheran Church soup kitchen, Catholic Charities, I volunteer with AARP,” Lo said, naming some organizations where she pitches in. “AmeriCorps Senior. Kayak Staten Island.”

Lo started giving back after the September 11th terrorist attacks.

“I felt I wanted to do something more than just give blood,” Lo said. “So I started volunteering at St. Edward’s food pantry…”

She continued to give back when she could and then ramped it up when she retired.

“It was to want to give back, but it was to, to feel that I was able to do something, for to, to do something to help people,” Lo said. “And I enjoyed doing it.” 

Another day is another opportunity to volunteer. NY1 also met up with Lo at the Blue Star Families food pantry at Fort Wadsworth.

“I didn’t believe that there was a food pantry,” Lo said. “How could there be a food pantry for Coast Guard families? Well, I was very surprised, because I would think that the government would take care of these young people.”

Lo is there every other week stocking shelves and feeding service families.

“I’m very happy that we’re able to provide for them,” she said.

It is an opportunity to make lifelong friends in service and a chance to tune out the rest of the world.

“I think the feeling you get once you start helping others, it makes you forget your own troubles,” Lo said. “The feeling that you get is… is just insurmountable.”

For volunteering, volunteering and volunteering some more, Linda Lo is our New Yorker of the Week.