Mother and daughter team, Mel and Ava are two of several sets of family volunteers at TOP. The duo started volunteering together in 2021 when Ava was a freshman in high school. Ava needed to build community service hours for school, so Mel thought it would be a great way for them to give back to the community and spend time together. For some students, TOP is their only volunteer experience, but for Ava it’s one of many! Ava never hesitates to chip in and help in any way, but she prefers serving dinner to our guests because she loves making them feel welcome and part of a greater community.

Mel is one of our talented TOP Chefs, and cooking is her creative outlet. She grew up in an Italian kitchen, learning to cook from her grandmothers, grandfather, and father. She says her biggest challenge is timing a meal for 150 people who sit down to eat all at once, especially when testing her new recipes. Lucky for our guests, Mel and her fellow chefs have mastered this challenge and provide our guests with delicious and healthy meals every week. 

At TOP, we are blessed to have many dedicated moms and dads volunteering with their kids, sisters and brothers, husbands and wives, and girlfriends and boyfriends, who enjoy serving those in need in our community… together!