By Satina Tolman
For The New Era
At nearly 83 years old, Dean Hummer begins four mornings a week the same way – with a welcoming smile, a steady pace, and a determination to help fill food boxes at Sweet Home Emergency Ministries.
“The thing I enjoy so much is volunteering with SHEM,” Hummer said with a smile. “It gives me something to focus on rather than myself. I like getting out and helping people.”
For more than a decade, volunteers have affectionately nicknamed one aisle inside the pantry “Hummer Lane,” the stretch where Hummer moves quickly and cheerfully, gathering items for dozens of families and individuals who need a little extra help. Her compassion is as steady as her work ethic, and she steps willingly into any job that needs doing.
“She is the very best of us,” said SHEM Director Cindy Rice, who has worked beside Hummer for years.
Hummer’s volunteer work extends beyond food boxes. As colder weather arrives, she also helps pack Ziploc bags filled with warm hats, gloves, and scarves for anyone who needs them. The bags are free at SHEM’s Carmen’s Closet. They once hung from a “Giving Tree” outside, but volunteers stopped after vandals repeatedly tore the bags down and scattered them in the street. Now, clients can come inside and ask for one.
Hard work is something Hummer has never shied away from. Before retiring, she worked at Willamette Industries’ plywood mill and later at the Albany paper mill, where she ran the United Way campaign and operated the string machine.
“You have these big, huge 10- to 12-ton rolls of paper that would be put on the machine and cut into small shipping rolls,” she said. “We made bag paper and box paper.”
Service also defined her years raising three sons. She volunteered with Cub Scouts, Little League, the chess club, and more.
“I just kept following them around to whatever they were interested in,” she said.
Her giving hasn’t slowed since. Hummer has sewn and donated more than 3,000 baby quilts to several agencies, including SHEM, Albany CASA, Corvallis CASA, Fish of Albany, Abria Medical Clinic, Albany Helping Hands, the Sweet Home Fire Department, and the Sweet Home Pregnancy Center.
Born in Cassville, Mo., Hummer’s early life was marked by frequent moves and challenges. She attended 13 different schools as her family relocated often, beginning first grade in Sweet Home in the building that now serves as the School District office. She eventually returned to Sweet Home and graduated from Sweet Home High School, with 11 other schools in between. Hummer is the second oldest of six siblings. Her oldest brother has passed away, but the remaining five live in Oregon and remain very close. She credits their mother for keeping the family close-knit.
“She always wanted us to get together for holidays and we got together quite often. She was a good mom and wanted us all to stay close,” Hummer said. Her childhood, she said, “was not an easy one,” but her mother instilled in her the compassion that would guide her life.
“My mother was an angel,” Hummer said. “She went through a lot and taught us kids to be helpful. She was caring, made us who we are, and was always there for us.”
At 18 years old, Hummer married her husband, Donald. The two first met while picking beans and berries in the summer fields as teenagers, earning money for school clothes. After marrying, they moved to Sweet Home – the place they have called home for 63 years. Donald, who is now retired, spent his entire career working for Willamette Industries at the plywood mill.
Of their decades-long marriage, Hummer said, “We worked together; our family was close. Our boys were always the center of our lives when they were home. We love to get together for the holidays. We will have 30 people here for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
Together, they raised three sons: two now living in Millersburg and one in North Carolina, who plans to return to Oregon next year. Hummer said she is thrilled at the thought of having all her boys close again. She also enjoys her six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Despite a full family life, Hummer remains committed to SHEM, especially as demand for services continues to grow.
“We really need more volunteers,” she said. On a recent morning, only six or seven volunteers staffed the pantry – far fewer than the ideal 12.
“Sometimes during our two-and-a-half-hour shift, we fill 60 or more boxes. Myself and one other person fill the boxes when people come in with their lists.”
Volunteers sort and prepare food, stock shelves, divide donations, and fill boxes. Extra help is also needed for building repairs and maintenance – responsibilities Rice often shoulders herself. Hummer admires her friend and fellow SHEM volunteer: “She does too much and needs more help. She is amazing.”
Volunteering is optional, but clients are always welcome to help.
“We have two clients currently who also serve as volunteers,” Hummer said. “It is great to see people who can help, help.”
Not everyone can give back due to time constraints or physical limitations, but there is usually something to do. For example, if someone cannot stand for long or walk much, they can sit at the table and sort items, count inventory, or pack grab bags. Hummer hopes others in the community will consider joining the effort.
“If you’re able and if you can, it is a very rewarding thing to do,” she said. “If you have the time, volunteer. Give Cindy a call.”
SHEM is open from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Volunteers typically work from 8 a.m. to noon. The pantry closes on the second Saturday of each month to allow volunteers time with their families. They are located at 1115 Long St., next to the Sweet Home Fire Station. Their phone number is (541) 367-6504.
After more than a decade of service – and a lifetime of giving – Hummer said she feels grateful to still be part of the effort.
“I enjoy it,” she said. “It keeps me going.”