Volunteer chooses joy through children’s food program

By Andrea Busche

After the untimely death of her beloved husband, Patrick, in 2012, Laura Plys wanted to honor his memory. She remembered that while he endured grueling cancer treatments, Patrick had bravely scribbled, “I choose joy” on a notepad after losing the ability to speak. Joy became a major theme in the Plys household after that, and has shaped the entirety of Laura’s future.

Plys established Project Joy, a fundraising event for Second Harvest Food Bank’s backpack program, seven years ago. The program raises awareness for childhood hunger and sends underprivileged children home on Friday afternoons with backpacks full of food to last throughout the weekend.

Plys has made Project Joy a huge focus in her life. In turn,

Project Joy has made huge strides toward addressing childhood hunger in our region. Since its founding, 255,325 meals have been served to children in need.

For her efforts, Plys is the recipient of the 2019 Most Engaged Volunteer Award. This special honor is given to the woman who goes above and beyond, working tirelessly in the region for the good of us all.

Family focus

Plys, who was raised in Duluth’s Lakeside neighborhood, has always been exceptionally close to her family. To this day, her parents live only two miles away, and she visits them daily. Her children and grandchildren also live nearby.

Plys met her husband as a teenager. The two raised a family of five children: Christopher, Anna, Daniel, Noah and Jonah. She now has three grandchildren, with another on the way. Patrick founded a business, Plys Superior Consulting, which remains family-owned, and is operated by their son, Christopher, and his fiancée.

Another cause Plys is passionate about is individuals with special needs. Plys’ son Jonah, who is now 19, was born with Down syndrome. In an effort to connect with other families impacted by the condition, Laura, along with several others, co-founded Duluth’s Buddy Walk, which was held in Duluth for 10 years.

Project Joy

Childhood hunger is a cause that Plys feels she is called to address. She shared just how common it is, right here in our community. “People don’t think of childhood hunger as happening in the city of Duluth, but it’s rampant,” she said. Many children leave school on Friday afternoons, and don’t have a single bite of food until they return to school on Monday, she said.

Project Joy, now a joint partnership with the Duluth Curling Club’s House of Hearts Charity Bonspiel, transports backpacks containing easy-to-open, easy-to-prepare foods to elementary school students within six Northland counties. Many hungry children and struggling families are grateful for the program; even the picky kids. “I’ve heard the kids say, ‘I’d rather have something I don’t like than nothing at all,’” Plys said.

Plys hopes to someday expand Project Joy to include a program for middle- and high-school students. “We’ve tried food pantries in high schools, but kids didn’t want to use it because of the stigma,” she said. “So, we’re trying to figure out a way to help the older kids; maybe through the use of gift cards.”

Creative gifts

In addition to her work with Project Joy, Plys is a writer and a photographer. She blogs about inspiring events at iwillchoosejoy.wordpress.com. And her photography business, Through Laura’s Lens, shoots about twelve weddings per year, along with the occasional graduation photo.

Recently, Laura’s work was featured in a story published by the Grand Rapids Press. “I was taking photos of a wedding in Canal Park, and the Paul Tregurtha ship was coming through right when the groom ‘dipped’ the bride,” she said. “The photo went viral, and has been seen all over the world.”

When she isn’t busy working on Project Joy, writing, or taking photos, Plys enjoys spending time with her kids and grandkids. She has plans to run Grandma’s Half Marathon. And she sees her boyfriend of five years, who lives in Mesa, Ariz., as often as she can.

Most Engaged Volunteer

Plys was nominated for this award by Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank’s Executive Director, Shaye Moris, who expounded on her endorsement of Plys. “Why is Laura Plys deserving of this award? Her spirit, energy, and

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Purveyor

ROSS

Leadership Award