2010 STAR Award Volunteer Family: Jerry, Carol & Marybeth Ebel

Photo by Adrian Johnson
Story by Jef Rietsma
Kalamazoo Gazette

Jerry and Carol Ebel may be retired, but the amount of time the Portage couple devotes weekly to volunteering typically exceeds the hours put in when they were working full-time jobs.

And although their 30-year-old daughter, Marybeth Ebel, is overseas teaching, she also was a part of the 1,200 combined hours the three volunteered in 2009. Their efforts benefited eight area agencies and earned them a STAR award in the category of Family Group.

Carol Ebel said the family’s volunteerism stems from a basic belief.

“If it’s something that is important to us and we believe in, then why not make the time to help?” she said, citing Loaves and Fishes as an example of an agency that provides one of life’s two basic necessities – food.

“Everyone has a right to have something to eat, and what I think a lot of people don’t realize about volunteering is that it’s never as difficult of a job as you might think,” said Ebel, 61.

Besides Loaves and Fishes, the family volunteered with Kalamazoo Communities In Schools, RSVP – Your Invitation to Volunteer, Portage Senior Center’s Sunshine Club, Portage Police Department’s Neighborhood Watch program, St. Catherine of Siena’s Knights of Columbus, the Salvation Army and the Kalamazoo Public School’s VISTA program.

Those who recommended the Ebels for the award noted their positive attitude and unselfishness.

Anne Lipsey, executive director of Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes, praised the Ebels for their versatility and dedication to community service.

“Their tireless efforts and can-do attitudes make a significant difference in improving food security in Kalamazoo County,” Lipsey said in her nomination. “If you express gratitude for the Ebels’ service, you will hear, ‘It’s our privilege,’ delivered with a beaming smile.”

Jerry Ebel, 62, said he and his wife – they have been married for 39 years – usually have a commitment every day of the week. Their schedules require two calendars, he said, which are posted on their refrigerator.

Dinner conversation always tends to center on the next day’s events and schedule, he said.

“There is a great deal of organization necessary…we’re busy people, but it’s really not that difficult to find time to spend even just one or two hours helping out,” he said.

He recalled that as a child he served as an altar boy in church, sold raffle tickets and got involved in a number of organizations. Before she left for South Korea to teach, Marybeth Ebel was heavily involved in Loaves and Fishes and frequently joined her father in delivering lunches to meals-on-wheels recipients.

Reflecting on the family’s volunteerism, Carol Ebel posed a question:

“If you feel your life doesn’t have meaning, why not do something to make you feel good and to help the community become a better place?” she said.

1 Comment

• Adventures in Volunteering » 1+1=600 September 22, 2011 at 8:32 am

  [...] make a placement. Want to know more? Read about others’ tutoring and mentoring experiences here, here, here and here. Categories: Nonprofit Spotlight, Volunteering Tags: children, Communities [...]

  Log in to Reply