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Smith Mediation Center

Divorce Mediation

Giving
Spirit

Longtime volunteer
loves working at
JFS’ Fall Fix Up.

Stacy Gittleman
Contributing Writer

S

20-year volunteer Sara Voight

Photos by Jeff Aisen

ara Voight is not a morning
person. Even so, there comes
home,” she said. “At the end of the day,
a Sunday in November, rain or
I see people coming back smiling and
shine, when the leaves have fallen and
energized with even more ideas of how
cold drafts begin to creep through win-
to help. Each year, the event grows and
dows, that she happily greets hundreds
we have found the registration slots fill
of volunteers ready to help seniors in the very quickly.”
Jewish community with Jewish Family
Voight attributes her volunteerism to
Services’ annual Fall Fix Up.
values instilled by her parents, Mark and
On Nov. 4, JFS celebrated the 20th
Diane Voight of Novi, who taught her
anniversary of this event, which Voight
and her sisters that “life is all about par-
has either participated in or coordinated ticipating, doing for others and getting
each year. She started in 1997 helping to
involved.”
clean windows for an elderly couple. She
Growing up in Novi, where there were
said she cleaned for “hours and hours”
not many Jews, Voight learned it would
while getting to know the
take some extra effort to be
couple she otherwise would
connected to the Jewish com-
never have met. She fin-
munity.
ished the day feeling good
“My sisters and I had a
and wanting to do more.
choice, we could either join
That is why, for 20 years,
BBYO or United Synagogue
volunteers can find Voight
Youth, but not joining a
greeting them early in the
Jewish youth group was not
morning with her genial
a choice,” Voight said. “But it
smile handing out rakes,
was worth it because through
gloves and cleaning prod-
BBYO, I gained many leader-
ucts as they head out to
ship skills and made lifelong
their assignments.
friends.”
This year at Congregation Volunteer Ariana
Her leadership skills con-
Shaarey Zedek in
Mentzel picks up
tinued during her years at
Southfield, she did so on a
supplies at this year’s the University of Michigan.
crystal-clear morning with Fall Fix Up.
She worked her way through
mild temperatures. Good
college as a guest receptionist
weather is one thing Voight
at the student union, led college tours
and her other committee members can-
to campus visitors and chartered the
not control for the annual cleanup, but
community-service-oriented Delta Zeta
she wagered that even in inclement days, sorority with some of her BBYO friends.
volunteers would still show up.
A financial reporter by profession,
“Volunteering should not be an
Voight also applied her “bean-counting,
obligatory box that one must check off
number-crunching” savvy to serving on
to meet some requirement for com-
the finance, insurance and retirement
munity service,” said Voight, 47, who
committees at the Jewish Federation of
was recently appointed to the JFS board.
Metropolitan Detroit.
“With volunteering, everyone is looking
“In no way do I take my volunteer
for something to do that they will enjoy
work as a begrudging obligation,” said
and will give them satisfaction for doing
Voight, who works as director of finance
a job well done.”
and administration at SMZ Advertising
Voight attributes the day’s success
in Novi. “I love to learn from people in
also to the capable JFS staff and the level different professions. Every time I volun-
playing field of a collaborative planning
teer on a committee, I have gained a new
committee.
skill and a new insight.”
“As the Fall Fix Up planning commit-
tee prepares each year, we get calls from
See Fall Fix Up story, page 23.
volunteers asking to work at the same

*

M

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November 17 • 2016

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