Friday Feature: Peter Hanna

Higher purpose
Peter's story

Your name: Peter K. Hanna

Your role at Volunteers of America Michigan: I am the Operations Manager for our Thrift Store in Westland, Michigan.

What brought you to this position? After almost three decades managing in the food service industry, I needed more personal fulfillment from what I was doing on a daily basis. I appreciate all the tools and skills my previous career provided and I believe all of them can be beneficial to my new daily purpose of helping people.

What is your biggest takeaway from working with Volunteers of America Michigan? Everything Matters. To know that my daily efforts are directly helping the ones that served our country, or in need in my community, provides validation and creates enthusiasm for me to get out of bed and go to work now.

What is your biggest challenge in this position? Well, managing clothing and household goods is totally different than managing food, so there is definitely a learning curve. The greatest similarity between my previous jobs are now, is that I still get to manage hard working people but now with higher purpose.

Where is your dream vacation spot? The Great Smokey Mountains in Tennessee have been my favorite vacation spot. There is no place that I’ve seen that compares with the beauty and serenity that landscape provides. It’s good for the soul!

What is your favorite book? I’ve always been a Stephen King fan - so I have to say “IT.”

How do you spend your time outside of the office? I have a beautiful wife, Michelle, and two amazing teenagers, Savanna and Ethan. With the recent purchase of a new house and my new career, my time is packed with family events outside of work.