Meet Volunteer Margaret
Daily Table’s new Salem store will open on September 8, with a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebrations on September 9! The store will be sparkling, and the shelves will be stocked—thanks in part to the generosity and hard work of our volunteers.
Volunteer Margaret Costello has made the commute to Salem several times from the South Shore, spending the whole day working on getting Daily Table ready to open. “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world! Helping to get the new store ready is the best thing I’ve done this whole summer!”
Daily Table has a special place in Margaret’s heart. She explains, “A few years ago, I was in a hard place. It just felt to me like there were so many things wrong in our world, just so many bad things happening. And I was wondering if I could do something, if I could make a difference. I wanted to help make some kind of positive change, to do something good—but I wasn’t sure what that would be. Then I read somewhere about Daily Table opening in Dorchester.”
Margaret’s grandparents moved to Park Street in Dorchester, right around the corner from where Daily Table is now, when they were newlyweds. Margaret says, “They loved the neighborhood, and I always felt connected through them to Dorchester. So that’s why I first volunteered at Daily Table. But I kept coming back because it’s such a great place! The people who work at the store are so great, and I love meeting shoppers. Everyone is so nice, thanking the volunteers, making us welcome. And I can see that people who shop there really love the store, and depend on Daily Table being a part of the neighborhood.”
“All the stores are special,” she says. “I wouldn’t miss the chance to help get Daily Table up and running in Salem. I don’t mind a bit of a drive!” Margaret has volunteered at the Roxbury store and in Central Square, as well. “They all have a different feel—like different murals, some differences in the food items, a neighborhood vibe. It’s so fun to be a part of it!”
Margaret doesn’t work alone. There are lots of volunteers helping to get the Salem store ready to open. “I don’t know what we would do without those volunteers,” says Francisco Rodriguez-Roig, Salem’s Store Manager. Francisco and Margaret go way back. Before being selected to manage the Salem store, Francisco worked in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Central Square. “Margaret is one of our best!” Francisco says.
“Our volunteers are amazing,” says Celia Grant, Director of Community Engagement. “They work so hard, and we couldn’t do it without them. They all have different reasons for working at Daily Table. Margaret’s volunteer work began with her grandparents’ love story. Volunteers tell me they want to do something good and help others—and they care about Daily Table and what we’re trying to do here. Actually, maybe they’re all love stories!”