Joan
Hellman, one of our altos, has been very active in New Wave Singers, hosting
sectional rehearsals at her house and helping hammer out notes before our main
rehearsals on Tuesday nights. She spoke recently about what it meant to
participate in this season’s volunteer activities at Moveable Feast:
"We packed
maybe 600 meals in an assembly-line fashion. The food looked so delicious that
everyone was getting hungry as we packed. One person put a chicken fillet in a
microwaveable container, another put in a scoop of mixed vegetables, and another
put in potatoes. Then, the containers were sealed with plastic and packed on
huge trays to await delivery to, I'm sure, an eager client."
Volunteering
at Moveable Feast also helped her get to know her fellow singers in a different
setting! "Talking and laughing together -- accomplishing something positive --
this is the stuff community is made of, and I believe volunteering at Moveable
Feast has helped our group become more of a community. This advantage is
important to me, because when I first joined the group, I was thinking -- I'm not gay; I'm more than 30
years older than most of the singers, how can I relate to this group other than
just singing my part?”
"Working
side-by-side, 'hand-in-hand' [that's a song NWS has sung at Moveable
Feast events] with someone brings out the best in people. A bond is formed that
would not otherwise happen. You get to know people in another capacity other
than their professional selves, or in this case, their 'Tuesday night, singing
personas.' I was surprised to find out that Lisa is a bird watcher, that
Kristine is involved with insect research, that Matt and Adam are dog lovers,
that Jen and Norma are bowlers. It turns out I have much in common with the New
Wave Singers, and I'm thrilled to be a part of them!"