By Cameron Bridges
It’s not every day that you meet an avid golfer and humanitarian who was formerly a professional baseball player for an AA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, a member of the Minnesota State Legislature, a staff member for Robert F. Kennedy and vice president of R.R. Donnelley, the largest financial printing company in the world. And it’s definitely not likely that you find a person that has done all these things in the same lifetime. Then again, you probably have never had the extreme pleasure of meeting Pete Petrafeso, one of the many volunteers at Martha’s Village & Kitchen (MVK).
He started his humanitarian work back in the sixties as a Vista Volunteer in the inner-cities of Baltimore where he worked with under-privileged families and children, helping them get back on their feet. When asked what brought him to MVK, he replied “I’ve always had a strong desire to make a difference and to work with people. I have tried to do that my whole life and I feel like I can continue to do that here.”
Pete is a world traveler who spends time in Italy going to cooking school. Pete has brought his cooking skills into the kitchen at MVK. When asked about these skills, he replied “I can cook up a storm!”
Being an annual donor to Martha's Village & Kitchen, he tries to influence others to contribute as well. Recently he had a Thanksgiving party at his house and asked everyone in attendance to bring two turkeys as a donation to MVK. But if you ask Pete about his accomplishments he has a very humble answer: “I’ve had a great life, met a lot of great people, and had a lot of fun doing it! Plus, you can only play so much golf.”
Pete is an example of the great volunteers we have here at MVK. He shows people that in any walk of life, it is important to give back to our neighbors in need and continue the chain of charitable giving.
Cameron Bridges is the volunteer coordinator at Martha's Village & Kitchen.
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