Congratulations to our Rural program Volunteer of the Quarter – 1^st quarter – Sharon Metzer! Sharon is a long-time volunteer with MOWSV starting in December of 2014…nearly 10 years as a volunteer! Throughout the past ten years, Sharon has seen our programs grow and stayed determined to deliver meals to clients in her community throughout the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful to Sharon for the dedication she has shared with us.

We asked Sharon what led her to begin volunteering at Meals on Wheels of the Salinas Valley. “I’m retired after working since college in the medical community,” she said. Right out of college, she worked in Fresno at Valley children’s Hospital, then Salinas Valley Radiology. Her career led her to become a diagnostic ultrasonographer and she worked 20 years at Community Hospital in Monterey, and then at Primecare in Salinas, until her retirement.  “After retiring I decided to find some local volunteer work within the community of Gonzales, where I grew up.  I have proudly been with MOWSV since my retirement nearly 10 years ago,” said Sharon. She also shared that her favorite part of being a volunteer is that she enjoys seeing and talking with the seniors of the community, many of which she has known for years.  Sharon added “It’s a great feeling to give back to the community that raised me, and to be able to help out, visit, and check on those people that are either homebound or just lonely.”

Sharon is a hometown girl, raised in Gonzales since her family moved there when she was 5 years old. Her father worked as the Gonzales High School Band Director for 30 years.  “Gonzales has always been my home except when I was in college in Los Altos, and then Fresno for a year working at Children’s Hospital,” Sharon said.  After moving back to the Salinas area, Sharon met up with her husband whom she knew from high school. They married in 1982, had 3 children and have always lived on the family farm outside of Gonzales. Sharon’s family are owners of Metzer Farms, a duck & goose hatchery that sells baby waterfowl all over the United States. They have a local farm, another in Hollister and a fairly new hatchery in Memphis, Tennessee. Sharon’s son and daughter-in-law are currently managing the Memphis Hatchery.   She also shared that her two daughters live outside the Sacramento area in Clarksburg. Both daughters are married with children. Sharon and her husband have 5 grandchildren that they love spending time with.  “And of course, we have our dog…Dallis and a couple of cats,” said Sharon.

When not volunteering at MOWSV, Sharon spends a lot of time golfing, traveling, and taking time with the grandkids & family. When her kids were young and in school, the family volunteered a lot with 4H & school activities. Sharon’s time and experience in 4H now translates to her having a thriving vegetable garden and her love of working outdoors. “Keeping busy is something that I am good at as I can get bored very quickly,” says Sharon.

Congratulations, Sharon, on being honored as Volunteer of the Quarter.