Vickie Shields seemingly never stops moving. As a director of operations for Wisehaven Events Center, she’s constantly meeting with clients or helping to plan events at the Springettsbury Township venue.
But for two hours, once a week, she donates her time helping to feed the needy at LifePath Christian Ministries.
“My work schedule doesn’t have a lot of free time, but I’m very blessed,” Vickie says. “I can work volunteering into my schedule, and it is nice.”
Helping your neighbor
Vickie, a mother of two sons currently in college, has been volunteering at various organizations throughout the years. She joined LifePath and now spends a lunch shift serving food and cleaning tables.
Her value on volunteerism came from her parents, including her father who “always helped people, no matter what they needed.”
“Being a barber, he heard so many stories, heard their struggles. If they needed to borrow his truck or needed help moving, he’d do it,” Vickie says. “He just instilled a commitment to helping your neighbor.”
Vickie understands that life can be busy, but she’s encouraging others to reorganize and prioritize their time to give back to the community. She said she uses LifePath’s online portal to pick shifts and locations that work best for her busy schedule.
“For me, and a lot of my friends who are empty nesters, we have the time to give back now,” Vickie says. “Sure, we’re working, but we have more time than we did. There’s just so much that needs to be done. I wish I had even more time to give back.”