Marie Anderson, of Cassopolis, is an active volunteer of the Cass County Cancer Service and the Cass County Friends of the Park, among other organizations.

 

Q: What do you do for the Cass County Cancer Service?

For the cancer service I am always nominated to be secretary — I’m not sure how that happens, but we always laugh about that.

With the cancer service we raise funds for people who live in Cass County to help them with gas cards, prescriptions … whatever we can help them with. Each patient is given $600 per year for three years — that’s what we allow.

We attempt to help them in anyway we can, even referring them to different organizations, support groups.

 

Q: What do you do for Friends of the Park?

Basically we volunteer in the concession stand at events. The reason we have the concession stand at these events is to encourage people and get them out there.

A lot of people aren’t even aware of what wonderful parks we have, like Lawless and Russ Forest.

That is one of our reasons we are at these various activities like the Harvest Fest. It’s all about getting people out there to enjoy the parks of Cass County.

I’ve spoken to a lot of people that have lived here forever and they haven’t even been to Lawless, never really been to Russ except on school trips.

 

Q: Why do you choose to volunteer?

It is actually very selfish on my part because it makes me feel good doing things for other people. I would much rather do things anonymously and see people’s faces than to be recognized. I think it is just the way my dad brought me up. He said to just do whatever you need to do because that’s what God wants it. I try to be the best person I can and the person God wants me to be. I haven’t always been successful, but I enjoy it.

 

Q: What would you say to convince others to volunteer?

It feels good. Volunteering only takes up as much time as you are wiling to give it. If you join an organization … find your niche. It might be volunteering for one event a year, but you are still volunteering and doing good. Once you volunteer it feels so good that you might end up doing more. There are things out there for any age. You are never too old and you are never too young to volunteer.

 

Do you know a volunteer worthy of recognition? Nominate him or her as the Volunteer of the Week by calling Craig Haupert, community editor, at (269) 687-7720, or emailing him at craig.haupert@leaderpub.com.