Although the outside temperature may be testing our winter coats, Pam, Seth, David, Vivienne and Jeremy hope that all of our volunteers feel the warm spirit at God's Love We Deliver. With Valentine's Day nearing, we had no trouble picking the subject of our next volunteer profile. One of our favorite volunteer couples, Jean-Marc Flack and Stephen Petronio, have been making sweet potatoes together in our kitchen on Monday evenings for over five years!

Jean-Marc works in the fashion industry, and he finds that he is constantly surrounded by superficiality. In 1995, after doing some research to find a fulfilling volunteer opportunity, he was attracted to the "hands-on" concept of God's Love We Deliver. Jean-Marc found that the work he did in the kitchen grounded him and helped to "shift energies away from [himself] to the outside world." As many volunteers find, it is not only the services Jean-Marc helps provide to our clients that keeps him coming back week after week; the amazing people he meets in the kitchen give him "incredibly uplifting and positive energy."

We feel pretty comfortable saying that the one person in the kitchen that gives him the most positive energy is his partner, Stephen Petronio. Although they did not meet at God's Love We Deliver, Jean-Marc brought Stephen to the kitchen on one of their first dates in 1997. After peeling way too many pounds of potatoes, Jean-Marc knew he was in love (not with the potatoes!). He says, "it was the effect of watching the genuine gusto with which Stephen threw himself at the task that revealed his generosity of spirit and instantly brought a level of trust to our courtship." The rest, they say, is history!

Prior to volunteering, Stephen was a donor to God's Love We Deliver and didn't feel that he had the time to commit to a shift in the kitchen. However, after coming the first few times with Jean-Marc, he realized he could squeeze three hours into his schedule for something important. Stephen is a choreographer with his own dance company, the acclaimed Stephen Petronio Dance Company. Although Jean-Marc certainly provided reason enough to help in the kitchen, Stephen was attracted to the volunteering here because it provided a tangible counterpart to his daily life. He says, "progress is often intangible and invisible for long periods in the dance world, but chopping vegetables for GLWD's clients is simple, helpful and provides immediate results."

Other Monday-nighters sing their praises as well. Norma Grant, who has been volunteering nearly as long as Jean-Marc, could not imagine her Monday evenings without the dynamic couple. She says, "they are two of the most caring people I know! Not only do they always look for the positive in life, they are committed to doing good."

Both Jean-Marc and Stephen have separately stated that chopping vegetables on Monday evenings is the highlight of their weeks. Needless to say, we in the volunteer office are grateful to have their help and are honored to count them among our volunteer ranks. Not only do they seem to be a perfect match for each other, they're a perfect match for God's Love We Deliver as well!