Q1: Which organization(s) are you a part of?
MMJW: My community service activities include:
- Rome Jaycees
- Dancing with the Stars Cast
- Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Participant
- Murder Mystery Theatre for Floyd Against Drugs
- Strike Out Child Abuse Team Member
- NAIA Team Host committee
- Up the Creek without a Paddle Ride
- Foster Care Parent’s Night Out
- Rome Hand Cyclist Race
- R.A.C.E. Rome Kids Triathlon
- Rome Children’s Academy
- Junior Service League Follies
- CRBI Volunteer
- Cystic Fibrosis Theatre Fundraiser
- First United Methodist Church
- Georgia High School Mock Trial
- SPLOST Campaign Advocate
And I am on the board of:
- Hospitality House, Past Chair
- Coosa Valley Cycling Association, Past Chair
- Heart of the Community Board, Past-Chair
- Coosa Country Club
- TRED (Trials for Recreation and Economic Development)
Q2: What does a typical day look like for you?
MMJW: Well, because I’ve recently retired, I’ve got a number of things that I’m working on along with what you might call my “extracurricular activities.” So there’s lots to do in the day. I get up and I make a list. And it’s always funny to me, because I never get to the end of the list; there’s not enough hours in the day to do what I do. In the morning I exercise, I do yoga, I walk the dogs, I read newspapers. Then I get out and go about knocking out my tasks for the day. Oftentimes, I visit my old office because I still have things I’m trying to wrap up there. And I meet people for engagements and things. It keeps me very busy, which is what I love. That’s the goal in retirement: to keep busy!
Q3: What is the most fulfilling part of your work?
MMJW: Whenever you’re volunteering, you’re helping others. So all of the efforts and time that you put in is just aiding others, and that’s the most wonderful part of it all. Even if you feel like you’re only helping one person, if we all did that every day, then the world would be a much greater place to live in. It’s just a matter of helping others.
Q4: What is your favorite memory or story from your volunteer career?
MMJW: I don’t want to single one event out in particular. I do think about when we’ve been at the church, and we’ve prepared Christmas boxes with turkey and ham and other food, and we’ve delivered those. And you see people that are so hungry and so in need, so that’s a great blessing to serve them. And just doing that with other people who are donating their time, and to see how much joy and comradery we have.
But every event is different. In the daily work at the Hospitality House for Women, when you hear a story of someone that has been a victim of severe domestic violence and then you hear they have been freed of that bondage, gone on to become productive citizens when they couldn’t have otherwise done that, then that’s an incredible blessing.
Also, when you see new trails like the Kingfisher Trail and how it allows people in motorized wheelchairs to get to point A to point B. And when people in our community come to realize that these trails are not only for recreation, but are vital for many handicapped people to move around the city.
So all of that brings great joy, and they’re different in every aspect, so I don’t want to single any particular one out.
Q5: What would you say to people who say they don’t have time to volunteer?
MMJW: I say: take time to make time. We all have time to volunteer and should do so more often. Make volunteer efforts a priority. You know the only old adage that “it is more blessed to give than to receive?” I cannot tell you how that rings true. When you give your time and talents and efforts for the benefit of others, it brings incredible joy; so much more than receiving something.
