Bob Mills, of Berrien Springs, has volunteered with the Niles Salvation Army for more than nine years. For the past three years, Mills has served as the charity organization’s chairman for the advisory board. Through the position, Mills helps to run the board meetings and advise the lieutenants on the organization’s efforts and operations.

What do you do for the Niles Salvation Army?

I am chairman of the advisory board. During the Christmas season, I coordinate volunteers to ring bells up in Berrien Springs for fundraising for the Salvation Army.

Lately, I have been working with the lieutenants to serve people up in Berrien Springs, who were affected by the flood, their breakfast, lunch or dinners. I have also handed out lunches to volunteers cleaning up the trailer park Saturday. Then we served dinner to the people staying at the middle school [where people who were displaced by the flood are being sheltered].

Kind of whatever is needed I help with.

How did you get involved with the

Niles Salvation Army?

When I was a little child back in the late 1940s, my family began going to the Salvation Army as a church, through their Vacation Bible School … And the Salvation Army helped my family when I was a child quite a bit, so this gives me a chance to give back to the them.

What do you enjoy about your volunteer work?

[I enjoy] working with the people. All my life I have worked with the public and it has always been rewarding to see when people are able to be helped. Oftentimes, they will turn around and give back to the Salvation Army, because the army has helped them. [I enjoy] just how much people appreciate being helped.

What do you get out of the experience of

volunteering?

Satisfaction that I have helped somebody. There is just a real nice feeling knowing that you are helping people like the Salvation Army helped me when I was a child.