Janine Bishop May 2022 Volunteer Spotlight Janine has been a member of Lake Orion UMC for at least 10 years. She is very involved in the youth program, and co-facilitates the programs on Sunday nights. With the youth group, she has volunteered for Project Shalom, the Center for Creative Studies in Pontiac working with local kids, The Heritage Place residents Christmas present project, the Special Needs Prom, Food Basket delivery with the Lions Club, making cocoa for spectators of the Christmas Parade, the 30 Hour Famine and the Crop Walk! Janine believes that it’s important for all of us to recognize those who are less fortunate, and to become comfortable interacting with others in different places and different spaces. Family is very important to Janine. She was born and raised in Oxford, and is a licensed Councilor working with adults with mental illness. Her mom has been a role model for her, and she loves watching her own 3 children grow up. Volunteering, for Janine, is doing her part; it’s God’s will that she do what she can. She enjoys bringing hope and joy to others, and seeing them smile. People have untapped gifts they can give to others, and Janine likes to learn from their stories. She encourages people to carve out a small amount of time for volunteering. It’s surprising how little time and effort it takes from your life to make a big difference in the lives of others. A little bit of effort goes a long way!
Ralph Reseigh April 2022 Volunteer Spotlight Ralph has been a member of Lake Orion United Methodist Church since the early 80’s – so a long time! He is one of three Certified Lay Servants, and is a Stephen Minister. He is a member of the United Methodist Men. He is chairman of the Trustees, and has been for around 10 years. He has been a member of the Trustees for the last 20 years! Ralph and his lovely wife, Sherry, have been married for over 54 years. They have 3 kids and 5 grandkids. He has retired from more jobs than many people ever have, and has worked in the Pilot Plants for all of The Big Three automakers. He has also worked on windmills, for Harley Davidson, and on the Hydromatic transmission. Volunteering has given him an opportunity at self-actualization with his work as a Lay Servant, as well as a chance to listen to the stories from others as a Stephen Minister. Try different things till you find something that you are comfortable with, and that you can do, Ralph suggests. While he was willing to work on the Trustees, he has been surprised that it has become his passion. There is a great sense of satisfaction that he feels as he sees the updates and work he and the Trustees have done on this 150-year-old church building. It’s important to get involved because better decisions are made when more opinions are considered. Supporting the church is the key.
March 2022 Volunteer in the Spotlight: Kathy Castillo Kathy has been attending LOUMC for about 4 years now, and is involved in several different groups. She is the Blood Drive Coordinator, and has been doing that for the last 3 or so years. She delivers meals each Monday for Community Meals to her friends at Heritage Place. She cochairs the Angel Tree project with Sue Montgomery, and is on the Mission Committee. Kathy is the Lead for our Church Financials Audit this year, and serves on the Finance Committee. She is both an usher and a Communion Steward. She says that each of these diverse opportunities to serve came about because someone recognized that she was willing, and had skills for that particular job. Growing up on a farm in a small community in the Thumb, Kathy saw her neighbors and family helping each other. It was a way of life; if you were able to help, you just did. She enjoys seeing the appreciation for what she does on the faces of the people she encounters. The people who coordinate the Angel Tree project each year were so excited to see Kathy and Sue pull up in an SUV packed with gifts for their clients! The Heritage Place residents all expect to see her each week, and if she is not going to be there, she has to let them know ahead of time, or they worry about her! They say she is their ‘ray of sunshine’ each week – and who wouldn’t love being known for that! It's interesting to connect with people in the different missions that you wouldn’t necessarily see each week in church, Kathy says. There is an opportunity to engage with people you didn’t know before. There are so many ways to volunteer and participate in short-lived projects. Not all commitments are long term. She encourages people to find one in an area of interest, with a manageable time frame. Start small if you want. But don’t miss out on an opportunity to be someone’s ‘ray of sunshine’.
