At The Corner Table, love isn’t just something we say—it’s something we do. And for Maria Clark, love shows up in every bag packed, every family served, and every moment spent ensuring no child or neighbor goes without the food they need.

Maria first discovered The Corner Table in a simple, unexpected way—on a walk with her husband after dinner in Newton. Curious about the building they passed, she went home, looked up our programs, and felt especially drawn to the Backpack Program. That curiosity quickly turned into a calling.

Having spent more than 14 years coordinating a food ministry in a large, multi-campus church in Northwest Indiana, Maria knew that when she and her husband moved to Hickory in October 2025, she wanted to continue serving families facing food insecurity. “Coming from an Italian family, our culture is all about feeding people,” she shares. “My family tells me that feeding people is my ‘superpower.’”

That love for feeding others—especially children—is what keeps her coming back.

For Maria, volunteering is about more than meals or bags of food. It’s about love that restores dignity and brings hope. Over the years, she’s seen firsthand how a little help can create room for families to breathe again—redirecting their limited resources toward medical bills, housing, and other urgent needs.

Whether it’s a hug from a child after receiving Christmas goodies or tears of gratitude from a parent who knows their family will be okay, these moments fuel Maria’s heart for service.

She also loves the sense of community and connection found in the Backpack Program—working alongside volunteers who truly care and being supported by a team that believes deeply in the mission. “Everyone cares about the people in our communities,” she says. “You can feel that the moment you walk in.”

If you ask Maria to describe her volunteer experience in three words, she doesn’t hesitate:

Fulfilling. Blessed. Encouraging.

And when she’s not volunteering, you’ll often find her sharing another kind of love—her love for reading. Maria even set up a free little library in her neighborhood, inviting neighbors to take a book, leave a book, and let imagination and connection grow one story at a time.

As we celebrate February, a month often associated with love, Maria reminds us that the greatest kind of love is the kind that shows up—quietly, consistently, and compassionately—for others.

“Even small gestures can change a life,” she says. “And when we give of ourselves to bless others, we are truly blessed in return.”

Thank you, Maria, for showing our community what LOVE in action truly looks like. 💗

The Corner Table is a faithful partner of The Bolick Foundation