Mary Palmberg is an avid recycler and an active, devoted volunteer for a handful of organizations.

Palmberg is the president of the board of Musick's Feast, a "professional early music ensemble with a two-fold mission: to present high-quality musical performances and to help alleviate world hunger by donating all concert proceeds to charities that have a substantial impact on hunger relief."

Palmberg also coordinates volunteers for the Free Lunch Program of Iowa City, which consists of "37 teams who provide a good meal every day, six days a week," she said.

In addition, she volunteers for Table to Table Food Rescue Organization. She picks up food that can no longer be sold by grocery stores and restaurants and distributes it to agencies that feed hungry people.

Helping people comes naturally to Palmberg.

"It suits my time and interests. It's what I'm supposed to be doing," she said.

Her experiences with logistics and her interests in recycling led her to start Castoff Triage, an "ad hoc clearinghouse for extra things around the house people want to get rid of," she said.

Palmberg, who retired in February 1998 from an administrative job in the UI provost's office after more than 20 years, is computer savvy. She uses her iBook and e-mail to do a lot of the logistical work with donors and agencies to try to get the right items to the people who need them.

"Not all agencies or their clients have room to store things," she said. "I try to facilitate things, make things easier."

Sometimes things don't fall into place easily, which makes her job a bit more challenging. But she enjoys the good works and "getting done what needs doing," she said.

"I found my niche."

- Jason Spangler