Sally Johnson's work centers around people

Sally Johnson carries bags of donated food as she walks up to the Seeley Swan Community Food Bank. It's a Wednesday, and even though the food bank is closed, that doesn't stop her from taking time out of her day to bring in donations.

Johnson spends a lot of time at the food bank as both the volunteer coordinator and as a volunteer, and started volunteering at the food bank after she retired.

Johnson appreciates that she has the opportunity to be so involved in the community, though acknowledges it takes a time commitment.

"It's nice to be retired," Johnson said. "I highly recommend it."

Working at the food bank gives Johnson a sense of fulfillment. That feeling is one many volunteers share, including Food Bank President Lulu Rodriguez and fellow volunteer Candy Bell. All three women express their appreciation for the connection to the community the food bank creates. Johnson said some people only spend part of the year in Seeley Lake and still volunteer at the food bank.

To anyone considering volunteering Johnson said, "We would love to have you."

The food bank is located in the same building as the Seeley Lake Elementary School, where Johnson spent 18 years as the district clerk before retiring in 2017. During her time at SLE, Johnson worked with a number of school board members and six superintendents.

"It's fun to run into the kids now who are adults and have their own children," Johnson said. "Sometimes they remember me, and that's always a fun part."

Johnson remembered a specific student she recently saw in town. He was an SLE student while she worked there, and the kindness Johnson had shown him was something he remembered almost 15 years later.

"It's always very gratifying to see the kids that were in grade school and now they're in careers, they're teaching here. I love the fact that our Valley Market is owned by kids who went to school here, and you know, it's great when you see those generations behind you coming up and becoming leaders in the community," Johnson said.

For Johnson, volunteering her time comes naturally.

"That has been ingrained from childhood. I saw my parents do volunteer work and so it's just been a natural part of my desire of volunteering and giving back," she said.

A variety of prior experiences aided Johnson with her work in the community. After graduating from the University of Montana with a journalism degree, Johnson worked as a secretary for the attorney general's office in Helena.

Johnson then moved to Seattle in her twenties, where she continued her government work as an administrative secretary. After that, she became the budget manager for the Seattle Public Library where she managed $20 million.

Once she moved back to Seeley Lake about 20 years later, Johnson worked as a part-time secretary for the water district before her career with the elementary school. During her time with the water district, Johnson was part of a planning committee managing a grant from the Forest Service. She worked with representatives from Seeley Lake and Condon, as well as people from two national forests, to make a plan for the grant. The plan she helped create received national attention and the grant planning committee was one of six in the country that received an award for their work.

Johnson now is a member of the Seeley Lake Community Council (SLCC), which serves as a voice from Seeley Lake to the Missoula County Commissioners and is the oldest community council in the county.

Johnson enjoys working with the community council and learns a lot every meeting. It's a chance for multiple organizations to interact, since many members of the council are involved in other organizations like the Alpine Artisans and the Seeley Lake Regional Outdoor Center for Kinetic Sports (ROCKS).

Johnson appreciates many things one would expect from living in a place like Seeley Lake - the environment, the view of the mountains and being able to see deer out her window. But there is one thing that especially stands out.

After her different experiences and living in multiple places, "The people are what really keep me (here)," Johnson said.