*The following write-up/picture is the latest edition of our monthly volunteer spotlight of volunteers in the Westfield Rec. Dept. We are blessed in the Rec. Dept. to have so many wonderful people who do and have volunteered their time both now and, in the past, to make our department and programs/events what they are today. We want to say THANK YOU! To nominate someone for volunteer spotlight, please send us a private message on Facebook or call/text Andrew at 753-6842.
Our volunteer spotlight for September is James “Shaggy” Ruch! James has volunteered in the Rec. Dept. for over 10 years. He has volunteered in various programs including roller skating, movies in the park and helping with other various odd jobs over the years. James brings an enthusiasm and passion for volunteering that is matched by very few people. He is dependable and someone who takes a lot of pride in his work. We have been quite blessed to have James volunteer in our Rec. Dept. over all these years.
James’ enjoys volunteering in a lot of different capacities and really has no preference for which program he is volunteering in. When asked what his favorite program is, James said “I like them all . Not just one or another. I like them all!” James has been one of our most dedicated volunteers at Friday night roller skating at Eason Hall over the last 5 years. When asked what he likes about roller skating, he said “I just like doing it. It gets me out of the house. I like it!” James is not the type of person to give you a complicated reason for why he does or likes something, but he knows what he likes, and he is driven to offer everything he can to make a program better.
James is not new to being honored for his volunteer efforts. In recent years, he was honored by the “Westfield-Barcelona Chamber of Commerce,” as well as the “Lake Shore Center for the Arts.” We are certainly not the only community group that has benefited from James’ dedication and passion. He loves to serve his community and it is something that is truly important to him. Volunteering is a significant part of James’ life. He has dedicated countless hours to making the community of Westfield a better place. As to why he does it, again a simple answer: “Because I like helping the community.” As for why he likes Westfield so much, he alluded to its quiet nature. However, we believe it is much more about the people. Anyone who has spoken to James knows that he loves to chat, and that he is a people person. It is people like James that make this community so great, and we are so grateful for everything he has done for us!
Past Volunteer Spotlights:
July 2020: Christian Caballero
August 2020: Carol Reynolds
September 2020: Don Parker
October 2020: Luci Petrella
November 2020: John Emmons
December 2020: The Baum Family (Chris, Shannon, Mason, and Logan)
January 2021: Chris Anderson
February 2021: Roger Miller
March 2021: The Dellow Family (Wade, Wendy, Hunter, and Haleigh)
April 2021: Jim Van Dyke
May 2021: Josh & Amy Belcher
June 2021: Gavin Emery
August 2021: Roxanne Baideme