Judi Matzke’s passion for serving others is driven by the bible verse Matthew 25:40, “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” These words became her motive once she became aware of the sacrifices made by our service members and their families. Her awareness was enriched while teaching Nursing at San Hills Community College near US Army base Fort Bragg, in North Carolina during the beginning of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars where she had many military spouses in her classroom. She then made a connection with the Golden Knights, United States Army Parachute Team, and began hosting socials for the elite group to thank them for all that they do for our nation. If you know anything about Judi, her cooking is one thing you NEVER turn down!
Once retired, she moved to Pine Knolls Shores, North Carolina where she was introduced to Hope For The Warriors 5 years ago during the annual Kayak For The Warriors events hosted by the Town of Pine Knolls Shores. It was then she found her volunteering niche of serving our veterans and military families through Hope For The Warriors’ presence in military rich Eastern North Carolina.
Since then, Judi has volunteered numerous hours of her time over the years and in 2016 alone she volunteered at 8 events for a total of 63 hours. She has also become the official baker of Hope For The Warriors and is famous for her pecan toffee bars and rice crispy treats enjoyed by the Marines at Camp Lejeune. Each and everyday, she goes above and beyond to share HOPE in the community and show her gratitude for our military, veterans, and families by achieving her daily goal to put a smile on someone’s face and to thank a service member, veteran or family for their sacrifice and service.
Thank you, Judi for your unwavering dedication to Hope For The Warriors and those we serve. We are so thank for you and grateful to have you apart of our HOPE family.