As Volunteer Coordinator for the City and Schools of St. Louis Park, I am lucky enough to hear many wonderful stories about the people who help in our community. This one, sent to me by Sara Moran, a teacher at , was especially endearing (Sarah Krzesowiak, Volunteer Office):
My name is Sara Moran and I am a 1st grade teacher at Peter Hobart School and I want to tell you about a lovely St. Louis Park couple who have volunteered in my classroom since October.
Marty and Nessa come to Peter Hobart once a week and volunteer for an hour. They each sit with one first grade student at a time while that student reads to them. They are warm and enthusiastic listeners who give my beginning readers their full attention. It has been a fantastic experience for us all but—that is not the story.
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Marty depends significantly on his wife Nessa. She cares for him which includes driving. He recently asked me for a "favor." He said, "Nessa and I look so forward to volunteering with the 1st graders. It is a place where we feel wanted." He then told me Nessa's birthday was coming up in May and he didn't have the opportunity to do much for her since he relies on her for transportation. Marty was wondering if the class could sing to Nessa for her birthday and maybe he could bring in cookies but he wasn’t sure how to do that without Nessa catching on. Well, Marty and I started scheming.
On May 7, when Marty and Nessa arrived for their weekly volunteer time, the 1st graders surprised Nessa with cards, singing, flowers and cupcakes. Everyone had a wonderful time at Nessa’s party. I find it incredibly endearing to see this man who wants to make the day special for his wife and, thanks to our school community, 25 first graders were the ones he could rely on for this job.
