Faces of volunteers seen throughout community
Serving others at any age is gratifying, uplifting
Tara Wildes
Former corrections officer serves others after retirement
Upon retiring as Director of Corrections in 2016 after working for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for 31 years, Tara Wildes would have been forgiven for putting up her feet and resting. Instead, she has devoted 20-plus hours a week to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for the past two years.
Serving as the Jacksonville chapter’s vice president in 2016, and president since 2017, Wildes helps with volunteers, fends questions from NAMI support group and help line facilitators, organizes and advocates for mental health issues, including traveling for presentations to judges and attorneys in Tampa on the intersection of mental health and criminal justice and the need for Baker Act reform.
Although NAMI Jacksonville has a solid foundation, the nonprofit organization is just scratching the surface of the needs of the community, explained Wildes, and said it hopes to expand programs for returning military, get businesses more involved to keep the programs accessible, and move forward with additional education and advocacy for those with mental illnesses.
Wildes is no stranger to helping others without compensation, having worked as a volunteer for the City of Jacksonville with disabled children and youth at the Sunny Acres Day Camp more than 40 years ago. She was also an assistant youth baseball coach for the Fort Caroline Athletic Association and a volunteer videographer at Mandarin High School in the past 10 years.
Marlon Crider
Buzzing about town for Meals on Wheels
Marlin Crider, 97, has been driving his Meals on Wheels route twice a month for well over 25 years. After picking up meals at Riverside Presbyterian Church, he heads off from 5 Points to those in need throughout Riverside, Avondale and beyond NAS Jax.
A former Highway Patrolman for over 42 years, Crider began delivering meals with his wife, Gladys (who passed away in 2010), when they heard about the program from a church friend at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.
“Daddy’s legs are starting to give him problems, but like most people of his generation he just ignores it and goes on,” said his daughter, Linda Crider.
After retiring in his 80s, this industrious senior citizen is a beekeeper and maintains a garden in between his volunteer work. What keeps him going? “I just like helping people,” Crider said.
Rev. Saundra Kidd, a deacon at St. Mark’s, reported that Meals on Wheels route co-chairs John Burrows and Bill Hallowes said, “Crider is the most faithful driver we have.”
Ellen Gunter
Mother inspires daughter to serve community
For over 25 years, visitors seeking information at St. Vincent’s Medical—Riverside have been greeted by the friendly smile and twinkly blue eyes of Avondale resident Ellen Gunter, a retired elementary school teacher. Once a week for three hours a shift, she answers the phone, helps people find their way to patient rooms and offers “any other way I can be of help,” she said.
Gunter, 69, has also volunteered in the emergency room and X-Ray Department, counting over 2,000 hours of service. This does not include substituting for other volunteers or the hours she logged as a teen volunteer after school and in the summer while on vacation from Lee High School. Gunter’s mother, Margaret Gunter, was her inspiration since she also was a St. Vincent’s volunteer for many years.
Gunter’s reward? “I get to work with nice people and I like seeing the smile on someone’s face after I help them. As a citizen I feel that we ought to give back to our community,” she said.
Sue Barry
City employee dances for the delight of others
From August auditions through December performance dates for 23 years, Venetia resident Sue Barry has attended rehearsals every Saturday for the party scene of Jacksonville’s Community Nutcracker Ballet. She has been cast in the roles of party guest, grandmother and the maid. Each season requires about 70 hours of rehearsal and travel time plus dress rehearsal and six full-length performances at the Florida Theatre. Participants incur fees for the audition, costume rental and accessories, shoes, tights, costume decorations and make up. Also, transportation, parking fees and taking time off from work factor into the volunteer performance.
Barry, who is retired now from the City of Jacksonville as finance manager for the Solid Waste Division, said the school and community service night performances are gratifying because otherwise students or persons with special needs may never get to see a live ballet production.
Now in its 27th year, Community Nutcracker has donated over $600,000 to local charities which benefits many nonprofits in Jacksonville, including Dreams Come True. Without the dedication of volunteers like Sue Barry, that would be impossible.
By Peggy Harrell Jennings
Resident Community News
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