Volunteer gets honor for devotion
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
When Rosemary Alexander stepped into the auditorium of First Christian Church on Tuesday night, she wasnt expecting a thing.
What she received, however, was the 2005 Volunteers in Action Volunteer of the Year Award for her work with The Salvation Army and 11th Street Baptist Church.
I was in total shock and Im still in shock, she said with a smile. I didnt know nothing until we got here.
Until recently, Alexander worked as a caregiver to Garland Reeves, an 84-year-old man who passed away earlier this week. She would work with him from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m., then go from there to volunteer at The Salvation Army until 5 p.m. and then start the cycle again every day.
Any free time she can squeeze out of her day is spent volunteering and helping others.
Usually working on four hours rest, Alexander said that staying busy has helped her stay lively and that her body has adjusted.
It just makes you feel good, she said. My body is used to 11 to 7.
Helping others is what drives Alexander, and she says this passion stems from the fact that others have helped her along the way.
They have helped me in the past, she said. I want to return the favor back.
Alexander said seeing others in a less fortunate position and being able to make them happy has been a blessing to her and helps her keep her own life in perspective.
She relayed a bit of advice one of her former pastors gave her, advice that is always in her mind.
When you feel sick, go help someone else thats really in need, she said. It will boost your spirit back up and make you want to do more.
I want to do more, she added.
Retired from The Medical Center, Alexander said she left her job there to focus all her energy on caring for and giving to others, and that the strength to do all this stems from her devout faith.
Gods got something in store for me to do, she said. Im not through yet.
When she does have a free moment from her job and her work with The Salvation Army, she and her husband visit inmates at the Warren County Regional Detention Center.
I love going to the jail, she said. We prayed and sang with the inmates.
One day, she even had one of the inmates sing a song he had written, causing him to break down in tears.
Kathy Walker, a close friend of Alexanders, also volunteers at The Salvation Army and nominated her friend for this award.
Rosemary exemplifies what a volunteer is, she said. She has so much compassion for other people.
Walker said Alexander was born to do what she does.
She just wants to give more, she said. Its a true calling for her.
I just think shes well deserving, she added. I just hope she can be an example to other people.
Anne Grubbs, president of Volunteers in Action and enrichment coordinator for Bowling Green-Warren County Community Education, said people like Alexander are an important part of the community.
The volunteers are invaluable to the community, she said. Places like The Salvation Army couldnt operate without volunteers.
Doug Eberhart, president of the United Way for Southern Kentucky and a member of Volunteers in Action, said volunteers like Alexander are a vital part of Bowling Greens character.
Theyre really the heart and soul of the community, he said.
Discussing the 21 nominees in attendance, Eberhart said that they were just a small part of the large number of people who volunteer in the area.
This is just a sample of the number of people who volunteer, he said. There are literally thousands of people who work to help others they dont even know.
After the ceremony, as she sat clutching her Volunteer of the Year Award, Alexander said that the moment meant everything to her.
I love what I do, she said proudly. Daily News ·813 College St. ·PO Box 90012 ·Bowling Green, KY ·42102 ·270-781-1700
Van Vleet, John (2005, April). Volunteers in Action’s annual awards ceremony Tuesday. Bowling Green Daily News. Retrieved from http://www.bgdailynews.com/clinton-lewis-daily-newsrosemary-alexander-was-named-volunteer-of-the/article_b748c54c-144e-59e5-8170-91e7d4ff7a7b.html