Go-Givers: Mary Swart

Go-Givers: Mary Swart

By Julie Kerns Garmendia

 

After retirement from Bellsouth’s Human Resources department in 2003, Mary Swart’s years of volunteering meant that her charities just moved higher on her priority list. She refers to husband Michael, a retired colonel of the U.S. Army Reserves who also worked for the U.S. Department of Labor, as her dependable sidekick for all her activities.

“I’ve been a member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church for more than thirty years and was recently elected to the church council. I served on the board of trustees for their ARK Child Development Center for years, but stepped down for 2012. I am still very involved behind the scenes in vacation Bible School (VBS)!” Swart said.

Swart is well known in San Marco for her dedicated and enthusiastic work with the VBS program, which she is quick to mention will be themed SonRise National Parks VBS, August 6-10 for kids ages 4-13.

“I still also help a lot with the preschool and I love working with the children. I am excited about our National Parks theme and will be combining my love for the parks, nature and plants into a learning program for VBS. We will use photographs of plants associated with Biblical references for the children to identify. Some examples are the Angel Wing Begonia, Crown of Thorns, Christmas cactus and there are many others,” she said. “I enjoy gardening and flowers, anything that will attract the butterflies which I consider as my own personal good luck charms. Butterflies just make me feel so good.”

One of her goals after retirement was to use some of that hard-earned free time to enroll in the Duval County Extension Office’s Master Gardener classes. In 2003 Swart completed the program and earned her Master Gardener designation, yet another way to volunteer and share her passion and knowledge of plants and flowers with the community. She has also been a dedicated member of the Jacksonville Garden Club since 2003.

An added pleasure for Swart will be the arrival of her two great-nephews, Thomas, 10 and David Crego, 11 of Fairfax, VA who will be visiting and joining her at VBS this summer. Michael will also be on hand to help out wherever needed, especially with the cooking.

“Michael always helps me with whatever I am doing although his favorite pastime is ‘exercising’ his cars around the neighborhood as he calls it! He loves his classic automobiles: a silver 1983 Porsche 944, and his pride and joy, a 1959 Crown Sapphire (turquoise) Corvette. He also has a 2004 Magnetic Red Corvette,” she said. This car-loving couple also enjoys drives in their Lexus SUV and Mini Cooper.

Since 2003 Mary has volunteered at the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. She said it is her privilege to assist the families of hospitalized children by offering any type of assistance that may be needed, whether it is talking, listening, simple comfort or caring support.

She just left the board of Jacksonville’s Ethics Commission where she served four years. Swart applied her human resources experience and expertise to labor relations issues to address and resolve ethical concerns and complaints.

The Swart family also includes a newly adopted beautiful calico cat, Callie, who was abandoned in nearby Granada Park. Callie was brought home by the Swart’s only child, Dr. Meredith Anne Swart. Dr. Swart is a small animal veterinarian in her first year of practice in the Gainesville/Ocala area.

The Swarts have lived in their Mediterranean-style, Granada home since 1978. By chance during a bridge game, Swart met an elderly gentleman who asked where she lived and upon hearing the location stated that he would like to see the home. During that visit he told the couple that he had once owned the home, where he lived with his wife, the daughter of the French Ambassador to the United States.

“He kindly told us that the house had been photographed in a 1933 edition of The American Home magazine and that he believed he still had a copy somewhere he would like to give to us — which he later did and we framed it as a very special part of our home’s history. The price of the magazine was on the cover —10 cents!” she said.

The couple enjoys travel and has focused on visiting U.S. National Parks for the past few years, which they plan to continue. A Spring 2012 cruise to the Southern Caribbean was in celebration of their 36th wedding anniversary and next up is exploration of the West Coast, California to Washington State. When not off on a travel adventure with Michael, Swart said that she plans to continue to volunteer and described it as a fulfilling and important part of her life.

“I volunteer because it actually gives me energy and I feel so good at the end of the day if I have helped someone in some way. I also want to improve our environment in any way I can and hope to be able to continue to make a meaningful contribution to my community and our world. I also want to encourage others to volunteer as I try to share whatever I can with others as part of my faith and gratitude to our Lord,” she said.

 

Headline: How can you help?

 

Editor’s note: This month, we continue a new feature at The Resident that we hope inspires residents to be change-makers for community good. “How can you help?” will profile a local nonprofit organization and showcase ways to support it. It is our sincerest hope that by creating awareness of local needs, we can all help generate positive solutions, funds and help for those in our community who deserve it most.

 

Organization: Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida

 

Mission: Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida (BGCNF) provides a safe, positive place for kids, ages 5-18 to go after school. Our youth development programs empower young people in our community to reach their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. We now serve more than 1,500 young people daily at 14 locations throughout Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties.

 

Opportunities to help: For people who enjoy being with kids, volunteers can choose to work with Club members at our Summer Camp, assisting with field trips, outdoor activities and art projects.

 

Volunteers are needed for a variety of upcoming events that support Boys & Girls Clubs fundraising efforts

 

Like to shop online? Visit Boys & Girls Clubs Buy4 page at http://www.buy4.com/bgcnf and donate while you shop at tons of the most popular online retailers. Up to 30% of your purchase will be donated to BGCNF.

 

Or donate a Wish List item! School supplies: paper, pens, pencils, rulers, and calculators

Games: Scrabble, Jenga, Checkers, Twister

Art Supplies: Construction paper, crayons, paintbrushes, paint and easels

 

How to raise your hand: Visit www.bgcnf.org and click the “Make a Donation” tab; or call (904)-396-4435

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