FEATURED VOLUNTEER
Ron Duke has been volunteering for The Salvation Army for as long as he can remember. As the son of Salvation Army officers, the 65-year-old first started volunteering when he was a child as a bell ringer in front of a red kettle.
Today, Ron is a familiar face at The Salvation Army Northern Division Headquarters in Roseville. Traveling from his home in Isanti, he arrives at 7:30 a.m. every Monday to help the maintenance staff with various building projects. One day he is replacing all the lights in the warehouse, the next he is assembling large bins for toy collections.
Ron frequently assists the social service staff by driving to different businesses to collect donated items such as school supplies, coats and toys. When it comes time to distribute the items, he makes sure less fortunate families receive what they need.
Some of Ron’s favorite volunteer experiences are helping with Coats for Kids and Toy Shop.
“It’s satisfying to see the smiles on the recipients’ faces,” he said.
Besides all the work he does for the Army, Ron also spends three days a week with Industries Inc. in Cambridge helping autistic men and women complete work-related tasks. The clients assemble parts for their job, and Ron checks over their work to make sure it is done correctly. According to Lonna Lind with Industries Inc., Ron is caring, always smiling, and a very good listener.
Ron volunteers because he “just likes to help others.”
“If someone has a passion for something, it is a good way to help others,” he said.
Thank you, Ron, for all that you do!
