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

October 2005
Good-bye Summer, Hello Fall!

The leaves are changing and the weather is getting a little bit colder in Vanceburg, Ky., which gives me a chance to reminisce about the excellent summer season we had at the Farm this year.

New Farm Manager. I would like to welcome Laura Zant as our newest Farm manager. Laura, from Kalamazoo, Mich., recently graduated from the University of Dayton. She received her degree in psychology and has minors in religious studies, family development and sociology. Laura has extensive experience serving the people of Appalachia through volunteer stints with the Appalachian Service Project and many spring and summer trips to Salyersville, Ky., with other students from the University of Dayton.

Unlike most Farm managers, Laura never had a weeklong experience at the Farm before coming to serve as manager. We met at the University of Dayton's Post-Grad Volunteer Fair when she was searching for a volunteer service site. Laura says her love of Appalachian culture and her desire to serve others brought her to the Glenmary Farm. Her faith has convinced her that the Farm is the right place for her in 2005-06, and I would like to thank her for stepping out in faith. She has been an excellent addition to the current crew of Jay Damron and Dave Turner.

Mike Dorn studies for priesthood. At the end of July Mike Dorn left the Farm to begin taking classes at the Chicago Theological Union in Chicago. He has decided to pursue a religious vocation as a Maryknoll misionary priest. All who served with him while he was at the Glenmary Farm will miss his hardworking, kind, spiritual, funny personality. Like many, I was blessed by the work Mike did at the Farm and in Lewis County. I thank Mike for his excellent work and wish him God's grace on the next step of his journey.

Needed: Project Merry Christmas volunteers. Project Merry Christmas is set for De. 18. This is an effort by the Ministerial Alliance of Lewis County to distribute toys and food vouchers to those in need in Lewis County. We are always looking for volunteers to help, If you are interested, call 606-796-3421, or write to me at jgrosek@glenmary.org or snail mail to Joe Grosek, Glenmary Volunteer Director, P.O. Box 7, Vanceburg, KY 41179.

Fall arrives! After many tomatoes, potatoes, a few onions and some corn, the garden is finished at the Farm. Now it is on to enjoying the changing leaves and dodging walnuts and acorns as they fall from the trees!

I hope all is well with everyone.

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

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