Volunteer Left Her Heart in Food Pantry

Like many other charity organizations, West Valley Community Services (WVCS) provides free food for those in need. But instead of giving everyone a bag of the same items, WVCS lets clients pick and choose in its food pantry, which looks just like a mini grocery store thanks to Pat Pecko, a devoted and detail-oriented former volunteer.

Pecko is among this year's CREST Award winners for the difference she made in the WVCS food pantry. Jacqueline de Guzman, director of community resources at WVCS, nominated Pecko for the award.

According to de Guzman, Pecko was instrumental in improving operations in the food pantry, and she continually found new ways to serve the clients of WVCS in a respectful environment.

"Pat went out of her way to organize our food pantry," said Guzman. "She even brought in supplies for other volunteers to use."

Pecko confirmed that she indeed paid out of her own pocket for the tape, trash bags and cleaning supplies she brought to WVCS.

"I'd bring things that'd make it easier for other volunteers," she said. "I loved when it looked really clean and neat. New clients were often shocked to see such a food pantry."

Pecko described her volunteer work at the food pantry as "labor-intensive." She unpacked boxes and lifted crates. In the meantime, she made sure everything was in order, paying attention to details.

Detail-oriented by nature, Pecko was an office manager at a law firm before volunteering at WVCS in 2008. She said she decided to take a year off then, but the economic downturn made her stay out of work longer than initially planned.

Pecko volunteered eight hours a week by doing two four-hour shifts at WVCS for two years before returning to the job market this year. Now she is a law office manager again, working full-time and no longer able to volunteer at WVCS.

Pecko said she asked WVCS not to nominate her for the CREST Award, because she had left, but the staff of WVCS insisted on acknowledging her past contribution, which she doesn't consider a big deal herself.

"I don't need to have an award for this," said Pecko. "This is who I am. I want to give back."

Pecko said she has always been interested in charity. She contributed to programs that would feed the hungry and provide housing for low-income families. She sees food and housing as top priorities in charity.

"If you fix these, you fix a lot of things," she said.

Pecko calls her volunteering experience at WVCS "a worthwhile endeavor." She said it was wonderful to meet WVCS clients from diverse ethnic groups, and it was always heartwarming to communicate with them.

"I miss them so much," she said.

Now working in San Francisco, Pecko lives in a rental apartment in the city on weekdays but still keeps her house in Cupertino.

Pecko has been a Cupertino resident since 1989 and a Santa Clara County resident since 1978, when she moved to Silicon Valley for her husband's career.

Born and raised in New York, Pecko was once a school teacher there. But she changed her career into law office management in California after taking some accounting classes.

Pecko said she will return to Cupertino for retirement and volunteer at WVCS again then.

"WVCS is a very well-run organization," she said.