REACHING OUT TO HELP: VOLUNTEER ALWAYS READY FOR ACTION

Ila Niswonger, David Grant and Melanie Rudolph are the 1996 winners of the Area Wide United Way/Ameritech Volunteer Awards, recoginzed for their service to the community

Ila Niswonger likes waking up each morning knowing that someone will be counting on her. She volunteers at least five days a week, often more.

"I don't know what it is," Niswonger said. "I can't stay at home. I'm not satisfied. So I get up every day and go do volunteer work. It's nice to get up knowing someone is waiting for you."

Niswonger maintains a dizzying volunteer schedule.

On Monday, she mans the telephone reassurance line at Jackson Senior Center, calling other senior citizens to make sure they are OK.

On Tuesday, she helps the Rev. William Marshall at Bethesda Fellowship on Sprigg Street, a church mission that hands out food and clothing to the needy.

On Wednesday, she's back in Jackson, working in the dining room at the Jackson Senior Center.

On Thursday she works at the main desk at the senior center, and on Friday she's back in the center's dining room.

Every fourth Saturday she works at the food pantry in Jackson.

Every fourth Thursday she helps the Jackson American Legion sell hamburgers, cake, soda and popcorn. She also prepares meals for special events at the American Legion hall and helps out at blood drives there.

Simple enough? Well, that's not all. Niswonger also coordinates all the other volunteers for the Jackson Senior Center. She schedules a minimum of a dozen helpers every day the center is open. That means she spends lots of her "free time" finding substitutes. When necessary, she fills in herself.

"I'm gone every day and I enjoy it," she said. "I'd just rather get out and do volunteer work than stay at home."

For several years, she cooked meals for the Salvation Army and plans to return to that job in the future.

Her friend, Betty Harper, says Niswonger accepts tremendous responsibility, and does a wonderful job keeping everything moving smoothly.

"She's always busy," Harper said. "And I certainly do value her friendship."