Donna Mahler, of Buchanan, has been a volunteer with the Niles Salvation Army for the past six years and a member of their church for 14 years.
Mahler helps with the organization’s youth program every Tuesday night. Youth enrolled in the program can earn badges after completing lessons in a variety of topics.
Right now, Marlin is teaching the youth how to take care of pets.
Marlin also serves in the kitchen, where she helps to prepare meals for the “lunch bunch,” which offers community members a free meal from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

How do you get involved?
We started going to church there and my husband did a lot of volunteering there. He helped in the food pantry and with a few odds and ends around there.
At that time, I was still working. After I retired, then I was able to do a lot more volunteering.

What do you enjoy about it?
I guess just being around the people and hearing their stories and trying to make life better for them. As little a church as we are, we are able to do a lot of good work.

How do you feel you help others?
Well, [with] the youth kids, a lot of them I had when they were younger. Of course now they have grown out of the program and when I see them, they will remember me and I guess I have left sort of an imprint on them.
[In the program] they can earn badges [after completing a] program that they go through. Right now we are teaching them how to be a friend to animals. If they have an animal, they learn how to take care of it and if you see a stray dog what you should do.

Why would you encourage others to
volunteer?
It is very rewarding knowing that you have left an imprint on other people or that you were able to help them out, when they were in a bad situation.

Is there a project that you feel most proud of completing as a volunteer?
I guess the lunch bunch program right now. We feed quite a few people Monday, Wednesday and Friday.