Spirit of Service celebrates 20 years of helping others

“It’s the gift that keeps on giving.”

That is how Robert Crowder, executive director of the Southern Alabama Regional Council on Aging and chair of this year’s Spirit of Service Day, describes the event he helped launch 20 years ago, when he served as chairman of the Houston County Commission. This year’s Spirit of Service Day will be held throughout Houston County on Saturday, April 18.

Crowder first learned of the volunteer work project when, as County Commission chairman, he attended a conference in Baltimore.

“It was called something different,” Crowder said. “We gave it a different name - Spirit of Service.”

The first committee that assisted Crowder in launching the Spirit of Service Program included Mary Clark, Ron Noble, Pat Elliott, Jan Hamilton, Mary Turner and Jerry Kizzort.

Crowder says the very first project undertaken for Spirit of Service involved landscape work on a local cemetery. “Since that time, thousands of projects have been completed,” Crowder said. “Most of them have been done without any help from the (city or county) government. They’ve been done with individuals donating their time and expertise.

“Most of these projects would not have been done had it not been for Spirit of Service. That’s what really sets this program apart.”

Crowder is particularly pleased to have Dothan City Schools and Houston County Schools involved in the effort.

“A lot of work has been done for both the city and county schools,” Crowder said. “But, Spirit of Service is not just about getting work done on the different projects (that have registered for SOS). It’s teaching young people the importance of getting involved in their community. I commend both school systems. They are helping these children understand the importance of giving back and what they do makes their community better.”

Although somewhat surprised by the longevity of the Spirit of Service program, Crowder says it is a tribute to the community and to one very important partnership.

“When we started this, I never would have thought it would have endured for 20 years,” Crowder said. “One of the great things we did was asking the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce to partner with us. The chamber has taken it like a leadership program. The chamber board provides an office and a staff person (Linda Kelley).”

In addition to the chamber’s support, Crowder says the flexibility of the program has helped it grow.

“One thing that has enabled Spirit of Service to endure is that it is so flexible,” Crowder said. “Everyone can be involved, regardless of their interests and expertise, and projects can be worked on at any time, not just on Spirit of Service Day.”

Many of the projects are visible to the public - landscaping, construction work and remodeling efforts. Some, however, are not so visible.

“One of the most successful projects of Spirit of Service is the (Wiregrass Area United Way) Food Bank,” said Linda Kelley, director of Community Development for the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce. “It’s one of the most important projects. Senior citizens are fed through the Brown Bag Program. It’s not a visible project, but it is a very important project.”

“Any project, regardless of what it is, would be hard-pressed to identify as much community work and benefit as many people as Spirit of Service has,” Crowder added. “There are physical, tangible things that have been done in the community through the Spirit of Service program.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for anybody,  regardless of whether they are affiliated with a group or not, to get involved. Churches, schools, civic groups and others participate and give back to their community. Individuals can also volunteer. Call the chamber. Linda (Kelley) will pair you up with a project.”

To be included in Spirit of Service, projects must be registered through the chamber. Registration can be made by calling Linda Kelley at 792-5138.

Projects already registered, with the contact person (for project details) and number, include:
* Wiregrass Area Food Bank, Shirley Henderson, 794-9775
* Blood Drive, American Red Cross, Susan Holmes, 792-9852; LifeSouth, Sandra Hollis, 792-9977
* Salvation Army, Linda Bates, 792-1911
* The House of Ruth, Remona Nall, 793-5214
* Kelly Springs, Sharon Kelley, 983-6565
* Dothan Rescue Mission, Brad Hardy, 794-4637
* Wiregrass Rehabilitation Center, Cynthia Green, 792-0022
* Carver Magnet School PTO, James Kelley, 794-1440
* Town of Webb, Kim Brown, 792-0386
* Southeast Alabama Child Advocacy Center, Sherri Davis, 671-1779
* Dothan City Schools Head Start/Preschool Center, Denise Vincent, 794-1447
* Helping area schools, Linda Kelley, 792-5138
* Wicksburg High School Key Club, Lee Hyde, 692-5549.