Connie Gray, of Dowagiac, is the owner of downtown’s The Looking Glass, which specializes in graphical design and computer repair. Gray volunteered her time and services to this year’s Dogwood Fine Arts Festival, which began last Friday and runs through Sunday.

 

What made you decide to volunteer with the Dogwood Festival?

I had the blessing of having Bobbie Jo [Hartline, festival secretary] come and ask if I did graphic design, because she saw on my window at The Looking Glass. She asked me if I worked with certain software, and I said yes. She asked if I would be willing to do that. I was just so honored. I mean it’s The Dogwood Festival. So I said of course, and we went from there.

 

What kind of graphic work did you do for the festival?

I designed the program that’s given out, that says “Welcome to the 24th annual Dogwood Fine Arts Festival.”

 

How long did the process take you?

It took about four hours in total. We had to do the layout and get everything ready for the printer. Working with Bobbie Jo was amazing; I feel like I have a new friend. I was just so excited because I had seen the Dowagiac story that had aired on PBS. I had never actually met her, so when she approached me I was like ‘wow, she was the one on that video.

 

What made you want to volunteer your time and services to the festival?

I love Dowagiac. I’m from San Antonio, Texas, but I came to Dowagiac years later. It’s always been like my hometown. To work with the Dogwood Festival is like a dream come true to me.

 

What other volunteer work do you do?

I do a lot of work with The Stepping Stone. That’s where I volunteer most of my time, helping them get off the ground, doing fundraisers. I do fliers and programs for them.

 

Why is it important to volunteer for these causes?

I have a lot of blessings in my life, and I always believe in giving back, especially to the community. Dowagiac is a small town, but to me, it’s big in my heart.

 

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.