Trees for Life's Staff Volunteers' Web Page

Staff Volunteers

and how they fit!

In the work of Trees for Life, many diverse types of people fit together to create the big picture. Millions of local volunteers work in their own villages in countries like India, Guatemala and Haiti. At the international office in Wichita, Kansas, people from the surrounding community volunteer their time to help with important office tasks. And there are "long-distance" volunteers -- friends and supporters who share the message with others and communicate with the office by phone, fax or e-mail. Below you will meet another group of Trees for Life people -- the staff volunteers. Many staff volunteers work full-time in the international office in Wichita, Kansas, while others live overseas and work hands-on with people in village projects. Supported with only room and board and a very small stipend, these volunteers work with tremendous dedication. Below you will meet some of these special people.

In the Wichita Office
	"After 27 years in business, mostly in banking, I lost my job in a corporate downsizing. At age 56, as I looked for meaningful work, I was led to Trees for Life and my decision to become a full-time volunteer. My wife, Kathy, and our five children have been most supportive of my new direction. I feel that I am part of a movement that has the power to do great things in this world. The work here has challenged me in many new ways. It has led to a wonderful peace in my heart." Phil is establishing programs for churches and other religious groups to participate in the Trees for Life movement. He contributes a wealth of experience and business sense from his years working in the Wichita community. He has helped to develop a musical drama program about Trees for Life that can be performed by churches and schools.

In the Wichita Office

"After 27 years in business, mostly in banking, I lost my job in a corporate downsizing. At age 56, as I looked for meaningful work, I was led to Trees for Life and my decision to become a full-time volunteer. My wife, Kathy, and our five children have been most supportive of my new direction. I feel that I am part of a movement that has the power to do great things in this world. The work here has challenged me in many new ways. It has led to a wonderful peace in my heart." Phil is establishing programs for churches and other religious groups to participate in the Trees for Life movement. He contributes a wealth of experience and business sense from his years working in the Wichita community. He has helped to develop a musical drama program about Trees for Life that can be performed by churches and schools.

"I was a volunteer with another Wichita group addressing poverty and hunger, and I got connected with Trees for Life when people invited me to lunch. I felt a lot of support and warmth at this place. I also felt a strong attraction to the overarching vision of empowering people. So at the end of my first two years of service, I decided to renew my volunteer term and devote full-time to Trees for Life." Joe is working with churches and other religious groups who support Trees for Life. People of faith have always been a major part of this movement, and often ask how they can get more actively involved. Joe is collaborating with other volunteers to develop activities for people to make that personal connection. He also helps with records-keeping and other office tasks.

"I was a freelance video producer, and I came to Trees for Life for one day to make a volunteer recruitment video. When I experienced the vision and the community spirit among people here, I knew I had to come back. I wanted to share inspiring messages on video, and Trees for Life was perfect." Chris has twice traveled to India to be the eyes and ears for people who want to learn about this movement. He has captured on video the stories of Indian villagers who Trees for Life serves. Recently he completed the first Trees for Life video using our small, modestly-equipped studio and the assistance of other volunteers.

"After high school I left home to attend college in New York. In three short weeks I realized that computer engineering was not what I wanted in my immediate future. So I entered volunteer service. I studied the information on Trees for Life and realized that no one who volunteered here had ever left! When I came to Trees for Life, I was overjoyed that I could learn as much as I would in a university setting, as well as being able to serve." Pete is working with a Trees for Life booklet created for native people in Guatemala. It uses a story-book form to show the power of sharing knowledge with others. Then people demonstrate the process by planting lemon trees. Pete is using computers to make a video of the booklet, so that it may be shared with more people.

"I graduated from college with a degree in English, but was working as a house painter. I knew I needed to move on, but I didn't know where. I found that Trees for Life addressed things I was concerned about, like hunger and the environment. So I called the Trees for Life office. Balbir asked me, 'If you had wings, where would you fly?' Suddenly I knew this was exactly where I wanted to go. Trees for Life works with the root of things -- the spirit. I can't imagine being anywhere else." Jeffrey does writing and editing for newsletters, correspondence and other materials created in our office. He is also developing programs for children in the U.S. who want to become active partners in Trees for Life.

"I was volunteering a year with the Mental Health Association in Wichita through friendships I established with Trees for Life volunteers, I became a part of TFL's extended family. Eventually I saw a deeper awareness of what service means and how to serve through the work TFL does, and I joined the team of full-time volunteers. Trees or Life is fertile ground for learning what I am capable of doing and how I can become a more effective servant." Mike is working with computers in preparation for teaching other people how to share information. He and other volunteers are also developing our Internet site, which will include on-line newsletters and activities for children, teachers and adults who want to do something to help the Earth.

Overseas

Guatemala:
	"I moved to Wichita after serving a year in Oregon as a Jesuit Volunteer. I heard about Trees for Life while on retreat with Kathy Miller, who was going to India with her husband, Phil. A week later, I visited the TFL office. I realized I could continue living the lifestyle of service. Two months later I became a full-time volunteer. Living and working with this community of dedicated individuals, I'm learning more about loving and serving, collaborating with others, working as a team and sharing responsibility." During seven months of service in Wichita, Heidi created a system of orientation and support for future volunteers. In early September Heidi went to Guatemala to live, serve and work with the native Mayan people in one of the village projects. She will be working with school children in a demonstration of "one teaches two," in which each person who receives a fruit tree teaches two others to plant and care for their own trees.

Guatemala:

"I moved to Wichita after serving a year in Oregon as a Jesuit Volunteer. I heard about Trees for Life while on retreat with Kathy Miller, who was going to India with her husband, Phil. A week later, I visited the TFL office. I realized I could continue living the lifestyle of service. Two months later I became a full-time volunteer. Living and working with this community of dedicated individuals, I'm learning more about loving and serving, collaborating with others, working as a team and sharing responsibility." During seven months of service in Wichita, Heidi created a system of orientation and support for future volunteers. In early September Heidi went to Guatemala to live, serve and work with the native Mayan people in one of the village projects. She will be working with school children in a demonstration of "one teaches two," in which each person who receives a fruit tree teaches two others to plant and care for their own trees.

"I like to think of Trees for Life as a monastery. It's a way of working that sees life as sacred, as a gift. Every moment is a gift in being alive. And through that comes a sense that every moment is a prayer. I see that attitude every day in people I work with in Guatemala, and it is where I feel I need to be headed. That sacredness is what I see Trees for Life recognizing and encouraging in each person." Tom's humble and enthusiastic style of leadership is perfect for his hands-on work with native Mayan people in the highlands of Guatemala. He has guided people in starting many fruit tree nurseries and building fuel-efficient wood-burning cookstoves. Recently he has helped local Guatemalans establish their own Trees for Life learning centers where people share knowledge about growing fruit trees and caring for the Earth.

India:
	"For many years I longed to live, work and serve in a developing country. I faced many obstacles and roadblocks along the way. But during that time I knew that there was a place for me. I just felt it. After working with Trees for Life in India for only a few months, I realized that this is the place -- that the children here called me to this place. There is such a chemistry between the children and me. I've never experienced such pure love and joy in my life." Jeff is serving at the Trees for Life Learning Center in Orissa, India. He is working with local Indian volunteers in villages there, implementing a campaign to fight vitamin A deficiency. He is helping to share information with villagers about the benefits of the drumstick tree, a native tree that is extremely high in vitamin A and other important nutrients. Jeff is also helping to organize programs for nearby village schools.

India:

"For many years I longed to live, work and serve in a developing country. I faced many obstacles and roadblocks along the way. But during that time I knew that there was a place for me. I just felt it. After working with Trees for Life in India for only a few months, I realized that this is the place -- that the children here called me to this place. There is such a chemistry between the children and me. I've never experienced such pure love and joy in my life." Jeff is serving at the Trees for Life Learning Center in Orissa, India. He is working with local Indian volunteers in villages there, implementing a campaign to fight vitamin A deficiency. He is helping to share information with villagers about the benefits of the drumstick tree, a native tree that is extremely high in vitamin A and other important nutrients. Jeff is also helping to organize programs for nearby village schools.

Former Volunteers

For information on how you can
fit into the big picture, contact us at:

Trees for Life
1103 Jefferson, Wichita, Kansas 67203
(316) 263-7294

email: info@treesforlife.org
(Be sure to include your mailing address if you would like
us to send you information on volunteering with Trees for Life.)

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