24 | MAY 30 • 2024
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ARC has nominated Dave
Konop for Volunteer
of the Week. Konop
has been involved with the
nonprofit for many years and
always steps up when they need
help.
Konop, who grew up in
Huntington Woods, has been
volunteering for JARC since
2002.
Often, JARC volunteers
have family or someone close
to them with disabilities that
leads them to volunteer there.
That’s not the case for Konop,

but JARC and the people they
serve are still near and dear to
his heart.
“It’s just always something
I’ve wanted to help with and
be a part of,
” Konop said. “My
main job during the day is
doing finance-related work.
Pretty far removed from some
of the things I help out with at
JARC, so it’s nice to be able to
contribute in a different way
than I do on a daily basis.
”
Some examples of his con-
tributions include volunteering
at JARC’s large-scale commu-

nity carnival for people with
developmental disabilities and
sensory sensitivities and their
caregivers and families, help-
ing with meal deliveries to the
JARC homes, helping one of the
JARC homes decorate a sukkah
for Sukkot and leading Passover
seders for some of the residents.
Konop has many positive
memories in his years of volun-
teering at JARC. Running the
seders especially stands out for
him.
“It’s always enjoyable to take
them through a seder, have the
group together, feel that togeth-
erness and how happy they all
are,
” Konop said. “
And you can
also see how much the employ-
ees who work at JARC care
for the residents, helping them
with whatever they might need.
Those interactions always make
me feel good.
”
Konop has also assisted with
JARC’s annual Flower-a-Thon,
a multi-day volunteer effort
that brings vibrancy and joy to
the outdoor spaces of the non-
profit’s group homes through
planting annual flowers, which
is planned this year for the week
of June 2.
“I always like doing that
because it’s this really nice
spring refreshment, as far as

sprucing up the front and back
of the houses and having that
spring born-again feel,
” Konop
said. “
And many times, JARC
residents will come out and
help a bit. So, you’ll get to inter-
act with them on that level at
the JARC homes.
”
Konop’s passion for volun-
teering comes from an under-
standing that there’s certain
segments of the population that
can live wonderful, fulfilling,
happy lives, but they just need a
little bit of extra help.
“One measure that I think of
myself as a person and apply to
society as a whole, is how will-
ing you are to help those who
may not have the advantages or
benefits you have, and helping
them to live the best lives they
can.
“That’s really where the pas-
sion comes from, especially
with the JARC population,
”
Konop says. “Just trying to help
people who need that little bit
of extra help or extra care in
order to live full lives, I think it’s
just an important thing to do.
“
And it makes me feel good
to do it, so there’s certainly an
internal joy to it. But the fact
I can add some brightness to
some people’s days and lives is
pretty meaningful to me.
”

Among other contributions, Konop
has assisted with JARC’s annual
Flower-a-Thon for many years.

A Bloomin’
Good Helper

DANNY SCHWARTZ SENIOR STAFF REPORTER

OUR COMMUNITY
VOLUNTEER OF THE WEEK

Dave Konop
helps out
with JARC’s
Flower-a-Thon.

Dave Konop
leads a
Passover
seder at a
JARC home.