Volunteers, service always needed

I write this in response to Tony Plerini’s previous letter about Mike Bedict. I also have worked many years with Mike and respect him for his years of community service. A service that needs to restructure itself. Tony’s suggestion is one way that service can become better for the people it serves.

Volunteers are always needed. As a long-time member I have stepped up and filled shifts when our numbers were down. Many of us did what was needed to keep us going. It was what we did, not for ourselves but for others. Recently during the Thanksgiving holiday a recent new member was given a bottle of champagne because that person did three or four days of shifts to help with others who were gone during that time. (Wonder what funds paid for that?) Three or four days? Some of us did two or three months or more and did it simply because we cared.

But I digress in my reason for this letter. Because I feel that people should be servants to each other. I decided to serve this community starting in 1976 by volunteering for Plains City Fire. I was there for 30 years when I retired in 2006. I also became an ambulance member for the last 10 years of those fire years. I did both for 10 years.

Three weeks ago I decided to retire from the volunteer business after 20 years with the ambulance and a total of 40 years of service. I did not get any champagne or even a response from the ambulance people in power. Well, maybe they did buy and pour themselves a toast to celebrate my departure.

It is not important to me. I am content to know that I could be a servant and I hope I was able to do some good for others.

So thank all of the volunteers for their selfless service whatever they do to make this community better.

— John Meckler