To some, volunteerism is a chore to be endured until you receive a badge of honor. But, for Kathy Rossiter, volunteerism is a quiet duty that helps you become a better person.

Kathy is well acquainted with volunteering. She and her family have been involved with feeding the homeless for many years. Every other month, members of The Garden Church (T.G.C.) rely on Kathy to help organize the volunteer efforts.

“There isn’t an official project per se,” she said. “I sort of took the ball and ran with it.”

And that is Kathy’s style. If you give her a task, she will go all out. She remembers when she first caught the volunteer bug years ago. She was helping the Boy Scouts with their volunteer project. The Boys Scouts were organizing a turkey drive.

“Me and The Boy Scouts would schlep, count, and pass out turkeys every year,” she said. Kathy became one of the key supporters of the turkey drive.

“I personally purchased turkeys, and urged family donations for The Boys Scout turkey drive,” she said.

She is sure that watching her vivacious volunteer efforts with The Boys Scouts is what prompted her family to get involved with T.G.C. Her daughter, her nieces, and their boyfriends all help in feeding the homeless. After Kathy shops at three local stores to purchase all of the necessary paper products, utensils, and food, she has to carry the bags back to the church. Once all of the stuff is at the church, she and her family organize it. The fun begins when the cooking starts.

Her family crowds into the small, outdated kitchen at T.G.C. and, like a lady with a magic wand, she turns ground meat and canned veggies into a big, heaping pot of chili. Mountains of brownies are cut to bite-sized pieces and the food is carefully packaged for the drive from Lansdowne to Upper Darby.

“We serve Sloppy Joes, with mixed veggies, granola bars, and brownies to the homeless people at The Life Center on 63 and Market,” she said. The Life Center is a social service organization that provides shelter for homeless people.

Kathy’s hope is that she can add a fresh salad, and potato chips to the menu. But, the church cannot afford to purchase the new items. So, that calls for volunteer efforts, which is right up Kathy’s alley.

“I will go to people’s houses and ask for donations. I will personally take the food donations back to the church,” she said. “I don’t mind schlepping.”

(Disclaimer: Rachel Slaughter is also an advertiser of Delaware County Magazine.)