March Volunteer of the Month
Millie Creamer, Beaverton Loaves & Fishes

Millie Creamer, Beaverton Loaves & Fishes Center, is pretty much the “pastry queen” of the center. At least three times each week she stops by the local Starbucks and picks up tubs of donated pastries for the center. She then artfully displays them on platters for Meals-On-Wheels drivers to nibble on before they go out on their routes or bags them individually for senior diners to take home. For Millie and her husband, Chuck, volunteering at Beaverton Loaves & Fishes has become a habit over the past 14 years.

“I had just retied from 10 years at Tektronix and was looking for something to do,” Millie said. “My husband was familiar with the Elsie Stuhr Center, so I came here for a few classes and the next thing I knew he had signed us up to deliver Meals-On-Wheels!”

In addition to delivering meals, the Creamers help out with whatever is going on at the center – gift wrapping at Borders Books during the holidays, fundraisers during the year, and filling in for Meals-On-Wheels drivers who are ill or on vacation.

Millie lives up to her name – Creamer,” said Beaverton Center Manager Rebekah Albert.
”She rises to the top and is there when we need her.”

An Oregon native, Millie grew up in Hillsboro and graduated from Hillsboro High School. She married, had a daughter, and ended up in Arizona for her husband’s health. When he died, she moved back to the Portland area to be near family. More than 20 years ago she saw an advertisement for square dancing for singles and decided to check it out. Chuck was one of the instructors and the rest, as they say, is history. The creamers have now been married 14 years.

Millie’s daughter lives in Hillsboro and Chuck’s two children and seven grandchildren also live nearby. The Creamers have one great-grandchild and two more are expected this summer.

“I love doing the volunteer work,” Millie said. “The people here are great and I like to stay busy.”

If you would like to know more about volunteering to deliver Meals-On-Wheels in your neighborhood, call Angel Pilato at 503.736.6325 ext. 86239.