They have many reasons for volunteering.
Facing down death. Becoming a good corporate citizen. Trying to instill the spirit of giving among children.
During the holiday season, each offers the most precious gift of all to East Dallasites in need: The gift of time.
“I know I can’t do it all,” says one 60-year-old volunteer. “But maybe I can set an example where enough people will do something.”
The Advocate searched East Dallas and Lakewood for individuals who are making a difference in the lives of others. Here are their stories.
Paul Rottman: On Exceeding the 55 MPH Limit
Slowing down and relaxing are not words in 70-year-old Paul Rottman’s vocabulary. Especially during the holiday season.
Rottman volunteers daily at the Brady Center in East Dallas, which provides support for disadvantaged residents. Rottman coordinates volunteers and helps out in the food pantry.
This holiday season, Rottman will stock the pantry and fill 250 boxes full of food with $30,000 worth of groceries donated for the center’s clients.
He’ll also be stocking the pantry with special foods for the center’s low-income family clients. Desserts, eggs and meats are among the food items. “We’ll have five families come through every 30 minutes,” he says.
Rottman’s family even becomes involved. “I’ll probably have seven or eight members of the family here the Saturday before Christmas,” he says.
Seeing the hungry come in every day reminds Rottman of his youth during the depression era.
“We never saw families, even during the depression, that lived like some of these families live today,” he says. “My 16-year-old grandson went to deliver a box of food last year at a man’s home. When he came in and placed the box on the dining room table, the man was sitting down flicking roaches off the table.”
Although Rottman tries not to become emotionally involved with the suffering he sees at the center, it’s not easy to remove himself from the situation.
“There are a lot of people out there who need help, and you can’t get involved and still do the job that you have to do,” he says.
Rottman takes his volunteer work seriously and believes it’s important to give something back to the community.
“The Lord has been good to me,” he says. “I never had any serious medical problems with the family. I always had a job and was able to take care of everything. When I retired, I decided it was time I give something back.”
Fred Alford: A Different Man Today…
A few close calls with death from diabetes complications changed Fred Alford’s outlook on life.
“I’m becoming warmer over time,” he says. “I give to charity a great deal more than I used to.”
Each holiday season and throughout the year, the 60-year-old warehouseman donates money to approximately 30 local charities, but the majority of his time is spent at Munger Place United Methodist Church and the Wilkinson Center.
“We’ll do whatever seems to present itself at the time,” he says.
Last year, Alford bought more than 100 blankets for homeless people assisted through the Wilkinson Center, filling his car twice during an early cold snap. And when Alford discovered the church’s Sunday School children couldn’t afford breakfast, he took matters into his own hands. It was the beginning of the church’s breakfast program.
Alford doesn’t like to look at what he’s done as special or out-of-the-ordinary.
“It is written, ‘love your neighbor as yourself’. When I see people in need, I feel compelled to do what I can.”
“It makes me feel good. I’m trying to do something. I know I can’t do it all, but maybe I can set an example where enough people will do something.”
Ramon Villareal: The Stage of Life…
As a Lipscomb Elementary School third-grade teacher for seven years and as a father of three children, Ramon Villareal knows how to make children listen. And each holiday season, he proves it on the school’s stage.
In 1986, Villareal signed up to direct Lipscomb’s annual Winter Production, a holiday program featuring the elementary school’s students. Villareal knew he could direct because he and his wife directed a story-telling program at their church.
But instead of going the traditional route of staging old favorites, Villareal decided “he’d use dialogue that appeals to kids in our area.” Each year, Villareal writes a holiday play, localizing it by mentioning Dallas establishments.
The message of each play – holidays are a season of giving instead of receiving – remains the same. But Villareal says his dialogue disguises the message so that it’s not delivered in a preaching manner.
This year’s off-beat Christmas play features Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer losing Santa, and Santa meeting up with the Big Bad Wolf from Little Red Riding Hood. At the play’s end, the children sing a melody of holiday songs.
Villareal spent two weeks writing this year’s play, although in past years, he has written plays in as little as one night. He directs the students twice weekly for six weeks, leading up to the final production.
Villareal says writing plays comes naturally to him. Still, to ensure the plays are humorous: “I play out the scenes for my own kids.”
“Our plays are nothing like I’ve ever seen before,” he says. “I want to catch everyone by surprise.”
(Lipscomb Elementary’s Winter Production is scheduled at 7 p.m. Dec. 19 in the school’s auditorium. The production is free and open to the public.)
Ezequiel Gonzalez: On Hard Knocks
During the holidays, Ezequiel Gonzalez can be found knocking on doors throughout his neighborhood asking for donations of clothes, coats and shoes.
After working with the Wilkinson Center’s needy clients for eight years, Gonzalez feels compelled to help. Between 30 and 50 homeless people receive assistance from the center daily, Gonzalez says.
Twice each year, Gonzalez takes several of the homeless men to dinner. Sometimes, one of the men will call to thank him.
“He’ll say, ‘It was a great help you gave me’,” he says. Even when they don’t call, however, Gonzalez is satisfied: “You’re there to give help, regardless.”
A neighbor suggested that Gonzalez volunteer at the Wilkinson Center when Gonzalez was fighting cancer.
“He said: ‘Stop thinking about your sickness and help us’,” he says.
“There came a time when I couldn’t do much for myself. Since someone took care of me, from now on, I’ll try to help someone else.”
Ernst and Young: The Good Neighbor
Robert W. Law and the Ernst and Young public accounting firm have gone beyond being good corporate citizens. They’ve become good friends with residents of two blocks of East Dallas they adopted 18 months ago through the City of Dallas’ adopt-a-block program.
Law, who heads up the adopt-a-block program at Ernst and Young, and the accounting firm wanted a project that would involve all employees, from secretaries to the CEO, says Deborah Berrier, an administrative assistant.
The adopt-a-block program fits the bill. The program’s original border streets were Beacon, East Side, Orient and Columbia. Now, four more blocks are included.
The firm’s employees work eight to 20 hours weekly in the neighborhood, handling such chores as organizing crime-watch meetings, participating in neighborhood clean-ups and working with the City to clear out drug houses. The firm also is considering tutoring neighborhood students, Berrier says.
During special occasions such as the holidays, Berrier says the employees donate extra time.
“Last Christmas, we gave free trees to all the residents since one of our employee’s parents own a Christmas tree farm,” Berrier says. In addition to the trees, each child received a stocking full of candy and toys donated by employees.
This year, the accounting firm is planning a catered holiday dinner party and individual gifts for neighborhood residents.
“We are fortunate to have come across these people,” Berrier says. “They treat us like a family member.”
“I remember our first clean-up: People peeking out of their blinds, asking us what we were doing. Now, they’re out there with us, interested in making a difference.”
“These people aren’t looking for charity,” she says. “We are here to show them what resources are available to them to meet the goals they have set for themselves.”
“All any human being wants is a pat on the back and someone to believe in them,” she says. “Those two things can carry you a long way.”
