Loving the gift of volunteering

At Christmastime, Sara Frey thinks volunteering is the best gift of all.

As she was decorating for Christmas at her winter home in Sarasota, Florida, the 88-year-old took a few minutes to reflect on what 25 years of volunteering for MDS has meant to her.

Most recently, Frey volunteered for a week in the hollers of Hurley, in southwestern Virginia, where residents are recovering from severe flooding. “We were hanging insulation and, a lot of times, I made sure people on ladders had what they needed,” she said. “I also helped clean up.”

During the summer months, Frey and her husband, Robert, live in Nappanee, Indiana, and attend Yellow Creek Mennonite Church in Goshen.

How many times have she and Robert volunteered for MDS? Frey confesses she has no idea. “Of course, when I was younger I did more ladder climbing,” she said, but quickly adds, “I can still climb a ladder!”

The Freys simply love volunteering, she said. “We love the people that you meet, and it’s a good way to get to know the people of your church better—especially young people,” she said. “It’s always fun when they come.”

The trust homeowners place in MDS also keeps her returning to the job site as a volunteer.

“Once you get into volunteer work and you see what it means to other people—and it means just as much to you—It’s kinda hard to quit!”