For 25 years, this ‘homebody’ used his background to help families at his local food bank

Carl Lee spent about a quarter of a century sorting vegetables and fruits at the Buckley Kiwanis Food Bank.

June 29, a day before his 80th birthday, he decided it was time to turn in his keys.

“It’s been fun, and I enjoyed helping,” Lee said.

Lee has roots in California, where he worked at his family’s supermarket. It was not until 1987 that he decided to settle in Buckley, he said.

“After my brothers got sick and passed away I figured it was time to take it easy,” Lee said. “I decided to go ahead and retire early.”

Shortly after moving to Buckley, Lee joined the local Kiwanis Club. The club took over the local food bank in 1997, which meant they needed help to run it. Club members did not hesitate to ask Lee.

“They knew that I worked in the grocery business … they asked me if I would volunteer with the food bank and so I said ‘OK,’” Lee said. “I was there ever since.”

Kiwanis Club members are hosting a gathering to honor Lee’s 25 years of service at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 14 at Anchor House Coffee Roasters at 873 Main St.

Lee worked an average of about 12-15 hours per week, greeting about 25-30 families per day. The food bank is open on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon.

Lee was often tasked with buying staples like milk and eggs. He also helped unload delivery trucks filled with donated goods from grocery stores. However, his skills lie in sorting produce, he said.

“I throw out all the stuff that’s not usable,” Lee said.

Lee said he enjoyed helping provide food for the families that visited the food bank. He will miss working with the people he was surrounded by, he said.

Rose Clark, one of those who worked with Lee, said he was “pretty quiet” but was a hard worker. Lee would always make sure food products in the freezer and on the shelves were rotated so patrons did not acquire spoiled food.

“You couldn’t ask for a better helper than Carl,” Clark said.

Lee considers himself a “homebody,” so he does not have any retirement plans other than maintaining his 9-acre property in Buckley.

“I have a lot of work,” Lee said. “I have trees and grass to cut. I’m pretty busy.”

This story was originally published July 11, 2022 at 5:00 AM.

Angelica Relente

The News Tribune

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Angelica Relente covers topics that affect communities in East Pierce County. She started as a news intern in June 2021 after graduating from Washington State University. She is also a member of Seattle’s Asian American Journalists Association. She was born in the Philippines and spent the rest of her childhood in Hawaii.