Celebrating Marty Mason: ICA’s 2026 Legacy Volunteer Service Award Recipient

For more than a decade, Marty Mason has been a familiar and joyful presence at ICA Food Shelf.

Since she began volunteering in 2013, Marty has spent countless hours helping make sure food gets into the hands of neighbors who need it. This year, ICA is honored to recognize her dedication and impact as the recipient of our Legacy Volunteer Service Award.

For Marty, volunteering at ICA is rooted in something she saw firsthand during her career as an educator.

Marty taught in Hopkins for 12 years and spent 25 years total in education. While teaching, she saw students come to school hungry and witnessed the impact that hunger had on children.

“I knew then that no kid should ever be hungry,” Marty said.

Her path to ICA was also inspired by one of her colleagues. A senior volunteer named Ralph Grier came to tutor students, and he also volunteered at ICA. The way he talked about volunteering and making a difference in the community motivated Marty to think about what her life could look like in retirement. Marty remembers thinking, When I retire, that’s what I want to do.

And in 2013, she did.

Today, Marty is a dedicated floor volunteer at ICA, helping with everything from intake and sorting to dating and stocking food. She is also a big fan of ICA’s rescue program, which helps ensure good food makes its way to our neighbors rather than going to waste.

But when Marty talks about what keeps her coming back, she doesn’t start with the work. She starts with the people.

“What brings me joy is the other volunteers and staff,” Marty said. “We all share a strong, common belief that we should all have food.”

That shared belief creates an atmosphere Marty says reflects her own philosophy: get as much food as possible out to our neighbors who need it.

Everyone is joyful and friendly, she says — “even Kent.”

After more than 13 years of volunteering, Marty has become part of the fabric of ICA. Her service has helped stock shelves, move food, welcome neighbors and make sure that nutritious food reaches the people who need it most.

But her impact goes beyond the tasks she completes. Marty represents the heart of what volunteering at ICA is all about: showing up, working alongside others and believing that every person in our community deserves access to food.

Her advice to someone considering volunteering is simple:

“This is the most fun way to make an impact. You’ll enjoy it. There’s personal satisfaction. You’re making a difference in the community.”

We couldn’t agree more.

Congratulations, Marty, and thank you for more than a decade of making a difference at ICA. We are so grateful for your service, your friendship and your unwavering belief that everyone should have enough food.