Back in 2012, Marge Vath bought a sleep number bed. The store wanted to sell her pillows, and gave her a bunch to try. “What do you do with the pillows people don’t like?” she asked the store managers. “They’re thrown out,” they replied. Marge is a big recycler—“If it can be reused or recycled, let’s do it.” So she launched a new mission. She began to visit the store quarterly, clean the returned pillows, and donate them to Opportunity House. For the past 8 years, she’s been affectionately known as our “Pillow Lady.” Although the Covid pandemic put a stop to her pillowy gifts, she continues to serve our mission. Marge Vath is a 20-year donor to Opportunity House, and we had a chance to interview her in her home recently.
What is your philosophy of giving? “My thought is you have to give to the Lord first. I look at my IRA at the beginning of the year and the money I have to contribute and I always give to my community. Opportunity House is an excellent resource in the community. I see how it has grown from being a shelter to providing daycare services. It continues to move and grow with the community and is always looking for the next step to help people move forward in life and have a better future.
Why have you continued to give for 20 years? “It’s important work. If I’m giving to an organization I like to see my dollars are being used in valuable ways. Opportunity House meets not only the basic needs of food and shelter but also provides opportunities like job training and education for children as well. Opportunity House is a great community resource.”