A Vanceburg View
An Update From the Director of Glenmary's Volunteer Office

December, 2005
Farm Volunteers—Christmas Blessings!

Every Fall I set off for volunteer fairs hosted by colleges and speak with graduating students interested in offering a year, two years, or maybe even a lifetime of service to groups like Glenmary. Representatives from service organizations (folks like me!) gather at these fairs to answer students’ questions about long-term service and I get to meet people who have never heard of the Farm.

In addition to meeting new folks and giving them information about the Farm, I meet former Glenmary Farm volunteers at these fairs. They stop by my booth and ask how things are at the Farm and share stories about their experience. Often they are looking for long-term service opportunities based on their experiences at the Farm.

I’m amazed by the faith, selflessness, and joy of these former volunteers. I always tell the Glenmary Farm managers that we are blessed to work with some of the best people I have ever met.

I also run into past Farm volunteers at the annual protest of the School of the Americas (renamed in 2001 the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation) in Fort Benning, Ga. This year, like last, the current Glenmary Farm managers came with me to peacefully protest the involvement of the United States in the School of the Americas. Glenmary’s Commission on Justice put us up and we joined fellow Glenmary co-workers, as well as priests and brothers, to protest the abuses perpetrated by School of the Americas graduates and demand the school be closed.

I take a tremendous amount of pride in the faith and courage of these former volunteers, most of whom are in high school, college, or their mid-20s. I know that when I was in high school or college there was no way I would have had the courageto protest a place like the School of the Americas. I was more interested in my own future and not the effect of United States foreign policy on those less fortunate in our world.

People complain about youth today, saying they are into themselves too much, that their values are the ones they find on TV or in pop culture, that they are too materialistic. These critics have never met the youth I have the privilege of working with at the Glenmary Farm.

Wild Woman says “When I tell people I’m rich, they look at me funny, since usually I have patches in my britches and holes in my coat. I might be as poor as old Joe’s coat, but meeting all youwonderful people (Farm volunteers) makes me rich.” Farm volunteers have made me rich in the same way.

So as I give thanks for my blessings this Christmas season, I’m counting all of you who have come and shared time, talent, and faith at the Glenmary Farm. May you have a blessed, faith-filled and Merry Christmas.

Peace and God bless,

Joe Grosek
jgrosek@glenmary.org

And if you missed previous Vanceburg Views, check them out.

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