Frank Butts
First United Methodist Church/Wayne
Township Fire Dept.

Frank Butts, of Dowagiac, is the supervisor of Wayne Township and is a retired veterinarian. He volunteers his time for a number of different organizations, including Dowagiac’s First United Methodist Church, ACTION ministries and the Wayne Township Fire Department.

How long have you volunteered with your church?
I have been volunteering on church boards and things like that for the past five years. I have ushered and went there for about 20 years.

What made want to start volunteering there?
It seemed like the right thing to do. I had been a member there for a number of years so I felt like it was my turn to step up and volunteer and take a little more active role in the church’s activities.

What are some of the things you volunteer with?
The main thing I help out with through the church is the ACTION food pantry. Every other Friday I’m involved with driving to Feeding America in Benton Harbor and bringing back food for the pantry. I alternate duties with a number of other people. We bring back anywhere from 500 to 1,200 pounds of food on pallets, and we take it into the food pantries so they can pass it out on Saturday mornings.

Why did you start volunteering with ACTION?
We have a pickup [truck], and I had heard that they [ACTION] needed people to help them haul food. After I retired — I sold my veterinary practice five years ago — I had a little more time, between grandkids and township duties, to spare. It is something I feel pretty strongly about, helping out those in need who need an extra hand to feed their families.

What is the most rewarding thing you get out of helping with ACTION?
There are a lot of rewarding things that come out of that. You are helping your neighbors. I have been a part of the fire department for 30 years, and it is kind of same thing. You are helping out your neighbors, giving them what they need in their time of crisis.

How did you get involved with the township fire
department?
I was on the township board at the time, and it did not have a fire department. So the board made the decision to create one, and to purchase some equipment and round up firemen who felt like they wanted to volunteer and help out their neighbors. As a part of the board, I felt the responsibility to make sure we provided for the safety and welfare of the community, which part of the reason why local government exists.

Why do you continue to volunteer with the department?
It gives you a sense of community. You realize people have things happen to them that are out of their control, like a car accident or their house or the woods in their backyard catching on fire or the woods. They feel helpless and they need help. It gives you a sense of pride that you are able to help people out.

Is there anything you want to encourage people to volunteer in their community?
The way our country has gone, due in part to all the technology we have these days, we miss out on that sense of community, knowing who your neighbors are and just being involved with people. Instead of looking for yourself, you should look out for others and try to help everyone that you can.