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Speaking of Service- Words from members who received a 2008 Volunteer Excellence Award.
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“I love helping other people.”
—Bill Manth |
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Bill Manth - North Tonawanda, New York
Bill and his wife, Donna, have three children and 12 grandchildren. They attend St. Paul Lutheran Church in North Tonawanda, New York. Bill is vice president of the Niagara Falls Chapter in the Northeast Region of Thrivent Financial. He received his Volunteer Excellence Award in the Adults—Singles, Couples, Empty Nesters category and donated his grant to St. Paul Lutheran Church.
Following is an excerpt from an interview with Bill:
Q. How did you first get involved in volunteering?
A. I was 18 when I joined the volunteer fire company that my brothers belonged to, along with my father before me and his father before him. We have a tradition going back about 70 years in the North Tonawanda Gratwick Hose Fire Company. I hung up my boots and helmet and now am deputy director of the emergency management and response team for North Tonawanda—a part-time job with a full-time commitment.
Q. How did you first get involved in volunteering with Thrivent Financial?
A. About three years ago my niece, who has since died, was dealing with cancer of the spine. She had to be transported to the cancer center in Buffalo three times a week by ambulance. Those bills were not covered by insurance. Our family got together and decided to do a fund-raiser. Someone at church mentioned that Thrivent Financial might be able to help. I went to my financial representative and got the necessary paperwork. I then took the initiative and gave the Niagara Falls Chapter board a presentation on what we wanted to do and what the objectives were. We had a silent auction with lots of donations. More than 500 people attended the fund-raiser, and we raised $48,000.
Shortly after that a member of the board contacted me and asked if I would consider coming on the board. I shadowed the board for six months so I got to know what the chapter was doing. They asked what position I would like. I said I would like to be president, but I didn’t want to jump right in. So I worked two years as vice president and then will be president next year. Since I started, we always make sure one board member is at each event we sponsor and presents the check. We also require that our Thrivent Financial banners are up at the event, and we push hard to make sure that Thrivent Financial is mentioned in any publicity.
Q. Why do you volunteer with your Thrivent chapter?
A. I have been involved in community service all of my life, and I very much enjoy helping other people. Thrivent Financial lets me do that.
Q. What’s the most heart-warming activity you’ve been a part of?
A. It has to be my niece’s fund-raiser—because I know that we helped them so much. We saved their home. We raised enough money that we could negotiate down all their medical bills and pay them off. Plus there’s a small amount of money put away and earning interest for my great-niece’s college education.
Q. What would you say to someone wanting to get involved/start volunteering with a Thrivent chapter?
A. It is the most heartwarming, satisfying group of people that I’ve ever met in my life. Our Lutheran Community Services Specialist Reni Hy always tells us that our board rocks. Everyone works together, and I think that’s the biggest thing. If we’re brainstorming something, the ideas that flow out of that board is amazing. I wish I could bring my whole board for this award because they made me look really good.
Q. What is your motivation for volunteering?
A. I love helping other people.
Q. If the sky was the limit, and neither time nor money stood in the way, what would you like to see accomplished as a result of volunteer efforts?
A. I’d love to see a cure for the childhood diseases that are around today. I have another little niece with three tumors in her brain and a tumor on her spine. I love kids and I don’t want to see them hurting.
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