Mary Williams wasn't about to let go of making a difference in the lives of youth.

When the Post Falls woman retired in 2007 after teaching for 42 years, she vowed to continue to help kids.

Williams has lived up to that promise, volunteering for the Post Falls Weekend Nutritional Backpack Program that provides weekend meals for students in need, and with the reading program at Seltice Elementary.

"I knew I wanted to volunteer from the minute I retired," she said.

Seltice is Williams' old stomping grounds as a Post Falls teacher. She spent most of her teaching years there after transferring from Post Falls Elementary (now Frederick Post) during the 1973-74 school year.

Prior to Post Falls, she taught two years at Tri-City, Ore., near Roseburg.

"I taught second grade all 42 years," she said. "I liked teaching the younger kids and the curriculum. When I went to college, I wasn't good at science and history."

Growing up in Rose Lake east of Coeur d'Alene and attending elementary school there and middle school and high school at Kootenai, Williams said her family didn't have a lot of money.

But she learned how important the simple things in life - having food available and a good education - were and how they shouldn't be taken for granted.

"The most important things in life aren't things," said Williams, referring to how the basics are more important than possessions.

Williams said Rose Lake was a wonderful place to grow up because there were a lot of outdoor activities and families spent time together.

"We were always visiting people," she said. "That was when people visited a lot. The parents got together to play cards. Mom always had a flower and vegetable garden and we raised chickens. We always had food on the table. I enjoyed the small-town atmosphere."

Williams said her upbringing influenced how she gives back today with the nutrition program and at Seltice.

She is also secretary of the North Idaho Retired Educators Association.

"I really like being around people," she said.

How does the weekend nutrition program through the Post Falls Food Bank work?

We provide two breakfasts and two lunches for two days (on the weekends) in plastic bags for identified students who need it. We have people deliver them to the schools and the students pick them up on Fridays in the office before they go home. If they don't show the food or talk about it on the bus, other students may not know they received it. We get our food from Second Harvest in Spokane, and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe helped us with a $30,000 donation last year.

How many students has the program served?

This year we served 80 K-12 students. Last year we served 75. Next year we're hoping to serve 90.

What is your role?

I chart all the school names and numbers and put address labels on the boxes (prior to delivery to the schools). Myself and other volunteers fill the bags.

Obviously there's a big demand for the program - and there's even more students who need help. What's it like to be a part of something like that?

The numbers can make me feel upset. A lot of these students move around a lot because the numbers for each school change every week. Our two boys never had to move and, when I grew up, I didn't have to move. When kids are having to move a lot, that upsets me. I have a feeling that some of these kids live from neighbor to neighbor or friend to friend. Some may be sleeping in a car.

Why are you involved with the program?

I know these kids probably wouldn't be getting enough to eat if it wasn't for the program.

How did you hear about the program and how did you get involved?

I first heard about it at a retired educators convention and thought that I'd love to help. The minute I found out about the (Post Falls) program, I went to the first meeting and knew it was something that I wanted to do.

What's involved with your volunteer work at Seltice Elementary?

I volunteer at the school carnival and dinners and with the reading program for third grade. With reading, it's called cold read. Students read to me for 1 minute and I have a timer and count the words that are read and chart it. It's a way to see how much improvement they've had and there's new vocabulary.

What's it like being out of teaching after 42 years, yet still involved by volunteering for school programs?

I liked watching the kids grow from learning - and I still do. I run into my former students all the time. They work at banks and grocery stores. I had a lot of students tell me that their parents also had me as a teacher.

You are the secretary of the North Idaho Retired Educators Association. What does that group do?

We collect money from members or bring in canned goods to help charities. We have members from Kellogg, Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene so we divide donations three ways. The last couple years, the Post Falls group has decided to help the food bank. We also discuss things such as PERSI (the state's retirement program for public employees), AARP and political issues that affect education. We also have guest speakers. Last year our group had 7,130 volunteer hours. It's retired educators, not just teachers, so there's also former aides, principals and custodians in the group.

What motivates you as a volunteer?

I love helping out and helping the kids.