I’m thrilled to begin our first Spot Light On Volunteers website feature with our very own kitchen angel, Susie Baity Stearns.  Each week we will interview one of our many wonderful volunteers, and starting things off with Susie feels just right.  Susie has stepped up and taken a fundamental role in keeping Friday Mornings@SELMA sustainable by organizing and facilitating our Thursday evening prep parties, and by being our “front of house” presence most every Friday morning.  Susie has the uncanny ability of noticing what we need and taking care of it before we know it ourselves, and she always has a ready smile for everyone.  I sat down with Susie, in between her seating guests, and asked her a few questions to help you get to know her.

Thanks for talking with me Susie. Tell us a bit about yourself.

It’s not very easy for me to talk about myself!  I live downtown, and I have two teenagers; a boy and a girl.  I like to spend time up north, to cook with friends, to garden, and I love to read–I read everything–fiction, non fiction, and technical stuff. I love to go to NIA classes–NIA is a form of improvisational movement that combines martial arts, yoga, modern and jazz dance together, and it’s really fun and energizing.  It is also a wonderful spiritual practice, which is important to me.  Spending time with my close friends is also really important to me–it feeds my soul.

What is your role with Selma Cafe?

I am the host for Friday Mornings@SELMA, and I also facilitate Thursday evening prep part of the time.  I started volunteering for Selma early on.  I love the energy and the people and Lisa and Jeff.  I love the smell, and the coffee, and the bacon.  Especially the bacon.

What work do you do when you aren’t helping out at Selma?

My job is in financial services– in sales. I spend a lot of time on the phone–basically I’m in the relationship building business.  Selma is a great opportunity for me to balance the demands of my work with something that is a whole lot of fun.

Susie, tell us 3 things that people don’t generally know about you.

I am afraid of clowns. My dream job would be to open a women’s clothing store, and I have a weakness for high heeled shoes.

What is your favorite food and drink?

These days my favorite morning drink is Roos Roast coffee, my favorite afternoon drink is Yogi lemon ginger iced tea, and my favorite night time drink is prosecco with a splash of lemonade.  My favorite food is bacon.  A little salty, but not too smoky. Especially the home cured bacon made by my Selma friends.  I also love mac and cheese, and most anything dark green and raw–beet greens, kale, chard and spinach.

What else would you like us to know about you:

Whew, this was a little nerve wracking! Even though I am fairly extroverted, and I love people, I’m shy when it comes to talking about myself!

~*~

I hope you’ve enjoyed our new get-to-know-our-volunteers feature.  Let me know if there is someone on our crew you’d like to read about!

~Lisa