How these 5 volunteers are making a difference in the Erie community

Volunteers help keep the world running.

Volunteers aren’t just high school students looking for community service hours or retirees looking to occupy some time. They are also firefighters rushing to help people on their worst day.

They are members at an animal shelter making sure homeless animals are well cared for.

They serve meals at homeless shelters and help organize blood drives.

And they do it all for free.

While the Erie community has thousands of volunteers, we selected five to share their stories.

Darlene Bush, Mercy Center for Women

For more than 15 years, Erie resident Darlene Bush has been enjoying retirement while volunteering at the Mercy Center for Women at 1039 E. 27th St.

Bush said she was drawn to the idea of giving back to the women and children of the Mercy Center.

Bush can be found answering doors and phones, talking to case managers, taking donations, transporting residents to appointments and helping with the mail.

“I believe that God put me at the MCW to help where I can,” Bush said. “It gives me a fulfillment in my life. I feel like I have two families. I’ve seen a lot of women come and go. To see someone come to the center, achieve their goals and move ahead in life, that’s very exciting to me. I enjoy watching them better their life.”

Bush says that being a volunteer at the Mercy Center for Women is a great opportunity with a staff that makes a difference.

“The Mercy Center for Women is one of the best programs I have learned about and seen in many years,” Bush said. “I’ve seen a lot of women better their lives and make an important move in their life and succeed.”

Jeff Hawryliw, assistant fire chief at Fairfield Hose Company

Some volunteers are called to run into the face of danger while being part of a volunteer fire department.

Jeff Hawryliw from Harborcreek is a fourth-generation volunteer firefighter at Fairfield Hose Company at 4896 E. Lake Road.

“My great grandfather and grandfather were founding members and started the department in October of 1944,” Hawryliw said. “My dad, brother, sister and mom along with aunts and uncles were all involved in the fire service here. Now my sons and nephews are in.”

Growing up in a family of firefighters was how Hawryliw became one, but serving the needs of the community is what he is passionate about.

“I hardly expect to get anything out of this as it’s just something I do,” Hawryliw said. “I’ve done it so long for free, I don’t get any money, I don’t do it for praise, it’s not for self-recognition but if I’m able to help someone I know. We’re responding on their worst day and to help a person so they can have a familiar face when something is happening. That’s the main reason I do it.”

As the assistant chief, Hawryliw is the training officer, president and financial officer, manages the social club and answers emergency calls.

Hawryliw encourages prospective firefighters to reach out to their local fire department.

“Most departments not only pay for your training, they can set you on a path,” Hawryliw said. “You can start as a volunteer and then work up to being a paid officer, but it’s a sense of community. It helps develop a set of skills that are needed.”

Patti Eichen, A.N.N.A. Shelter

Being a retired social worker from Saint Vincent Hospital, Washington Township resident Patti Eichen always had a passion for helping.

While working as a social worker, Eichen made visits to the A.N.N.A. Shelter at 1555 E. 10th St. to drop off donations in her free time.

It was after retirement that Eichen decided to take her passion for helping and use it for aiding animals at the shelter, specifically cats. She’s been a volunteer for over 10 years.

“It’s a feel-good experience,” Eichen said. “It warms my heart and feeds my soul and I know I’m helping those animals. A lot of times people will ask me how I can do this or how don’t I take all of the animals home? People visit the shelter and say they can never work here or volunteer here for that reason. I say, think of these animals and where they came from and they are in a better place here.”

At the A.N.N.A. Shelter, Eichen helps orientate new volunteers, assists with cleaning, meets with potential adopters, runs donations, does intake at their pet food bank and spends time in the cat room.

Eihcen said the shelter has an open-door policy for potential volunteers.

“I say come on in, look around, talk to staff and volunteers and get comfortable in that area,” Eihcen said. “Familiarize with the tasks that need to be done. You have to have a passion for animals and just go with it. Also volunteers need to feel appreciated, and that’s what the A.N.N.A. Shelter does.”

Matt Mikovich, Girard High School Student Council Adviser for Community Blood Bank

With the Community Blood Bank, volunteers aren’t just in the office at 2646 Peach St. They are partners in the Erie County community helping to set up blood drives.

Girard resident Matt Mikovich works at Girard High School at 1135 Lake St., as the student council adviser. Student council is in charge of the blood drives at the school.

“We do blood drives at least two times a year,” Mikovich said. “During those drives sometimes I have to add extra spots because of the amount of kids we have signing up.”

Mikovich helps set up the drives a year and a half in advance. He fills out the paperwork, hands out permission slips, handles sign-ups, oversees the students who volunteer at the drives and makes sure operations run smoothly.

When a student is on the fence about making a blood donation, Mikovich tells them, “Look at what you are doing when you donate.”

“The community blood bank serves the whole region,” Mikovich said. “Your little pint of blood could save a life. That usually gets some of the kids going. It’s amazing some of the kids that come to sign up I would have never guessed they wanted to sign up to give blood.”

Connie Garrison, Erie City Mission

Lake City resident Connie Garrison is a well-recognized volunteer at public meals for the Erie City Mission at 1017 French St.

“I started volunteering once a month with my church, Real Life Assembly of God,” Garrison said. “There was a group that went to the Mission to volunteer. I started doing that and I enjoyed that and felt the need to do more.”

Garrison volunteers at the City Mission more often now that she is retired. She has been volunteering for over 10 years.

She can be found working in the kitchen helping prep and serve meals to those who visit.

What is most rewarding to Garrison is the people she encounters on a daily basis.

“Everybody that I’ve encountered there has been really nice and it’s been rewarding to work with people who come in for help,” Garrison said. “They enjoy the interactions with volunteers too.”

When it comes to volunteering at the Erie City Mission, Garrison says there are a lot of different opportunities.

“There’s a lot different kinds of volunteering opportunities at the Erie City Mission,” Garrison said. “Anyone interested should look online and see what’s available. They have the Urban Education Programs, they have people that do office work, people who do outreach, there’s just a variety of different things. I don’t think a lot of people are aware of how much is there in regards to helping people.”