A Steady Hand in the Warehouse

How a retired aviation professional found purpose, friendship, and a new rhythm.

Since walking away from a life-changing accident over a decade ago, Keith Marshall kept asking himself a question we all wonder at times: “Why am I still here?” His search for meaning led him to serve others throughout his community.

After retiring from 40 years in aviation and federal service, he had more time to give back. His daughter, a medical professional who often points her patients to Birch as a resource, encouraged him to give volunteering a try.

From the moment he walked in, he knew he had found his place. “Being at Birch feels like part of the answer.” 

Walking the aisles, Keith sees families working hard to get ahead, and for him, it echoes his own story. “When my wife and I first got married, we were making twelve dollars an hour combined. We had debt and a baby right away. I know what it feels like to struggle, and I know what it feels like to work your way out.”

Since February, Keith has logged more than 100 hours in the warehouse, often volunteering two or three days a week. Though he’s helped in every part of the warehouse, lately he can be found in the sort aisle, where donations are unpacked, organized, and prepared for families. “It’s busy, it can be chaotic, but it’s a good kind of busy,” he says. “I don’t need the gym on days I’m here.”

What has surprised him most is the community at Birch. “Everybody is kind. You don’t leave without hearing ‘thank you’ several times,” he says. “The staff, the participants, even other volunteers—there’s appreciation everywhere.”  He’s especially struck by what he sees among participants. “There are families who graduate and still come back to volunteer. That says a lot. People want to give back even when they don’t have to.”

The friendships, the culture of gratitude, and the steady rhythm of giving his time have become part of his everyday life. “I leave tired,” he says, “but it’s the best kind of tired. My heart feels full, and that’s what keeps me coming back.”