· Age: 59
· Family: Wife, Cheryl; daughter, Amanda; sons, Bret and Andy
· City of residence: Marysville
· Occupation: Retired
· How long have you lived in the Yuba-Sutter area? 31 years
· Hobbies, interests: Woodworking, railroading and collecting train sets. I do a little photography and I love to sing. I used to be in the Yuba Sutter Symphony Choir, and I was in the Navy Blue Jackets Choir.
· For what groups do you volunteer? I founded Local Chapter 9 of the Disabled American Veterans in July 2004; it's the first new chapter in California in 20 years. We raise money for veterans in need; send donations to Yountville, a veterans retirement home in Napa County; we started a transportation program, along with other interested veterans; and we help local veterans with emergency funding. We also reach out to veterans to help them get their claims started for disability. We get them to the VA and get their illnesses taken care of. The DAV is a primary watchdog of the VA; we make sure they're doing things right. I serve as an alternate state executive board member and deputy national veterans service officer for the organization. I'm also involved with Marysville Methodist Church.
· How do you fit it into your schedule? I just do it, it's a passion. It usually ends up around 20 to 30 hours a week.
· Words of advice: If you volunteer, it has to be a passion to do it correctly, otherwise you're going to get burned out. Choose something you really want to do. I've been volunteering since I was 11 years old; I volunteered when I was in the Navy; I was in church choirs wherever I was stationed. A lot of people are afraid to volunteer and put themselves in a vulnerable spot. You have to reach out to others. You're selling them an idea with results, where it's a win-win situation for both parties.
· Positive and negative points about volunteering: Negative
aspects are that you can get burned out on something without
proper support. It's time consuming and you have to have to
make priorities in your life.
Positive aspects are the self-satisfaction and, many times,
friends are in the same organization.
· Quote: “An important part of being a volunteer is recognition for the organization from the community and the people you're helping. If you've got a good team, things will work. It's that first step to volunteering for something that you feel strongly about that is always the hardest, but once you get into it, it gets easier.”