This article was originally published in September 2013, by Rhonda Fisher.
Marilyn Guthmann is a long-time volunteer at CPO. In fact, she’s been volunteering since its inception more than 30 years ago! This week, we wanted to honor her dedication, while also highlighting her current area of expertise: the CPO office.
Over the years, Marilyn has volunteered in many different areas at CPO. She has hosted several girls in her home, provided transportation for girls, been a labor coach, and even helped organize fundraisers and other events. Currently, she volunteers in the office every week. Marilyn says that her most memorable office experience was a time when she received a phone call from a hospitalized girl who wanted to place her baby for adoption as a drop-in. It was a while ago, but she still remembers the phone call with fondness.
Her story illustrates the overall importance of our office volunteers. She says, “Some days there are lots of calls, and some days there are none.” Our office volunteers make sure they are there when the calls do come in. But Marilyn says not to worry about not being adequate to work in the office. “Somebody will be there to train you and tell you what you need to do. Really, it’s not that hard. And if you don’t have the answers [for a girl on a phone call] then you can always call one of the assistants and they will call the girl back. Even after 30 years, I still sometimes feel inadequate, I don’t always have all the answers, but I often call one of the assistants and talk to them about it. They are our resources. Everyone has skills to answer the phone and talk to someone who walks into the office.”
Marilyn says that her time spent volunteering for CPO over the years has been beneficial to her. “It makes you think about other people, and the stuff that they’re going through. It changes your focus.” Which gets me thinking… “I will focus on Your honor and majestic splendor, and Your amazing deeds!” (Psalm 145:5, NET)
Thanks again to Marilyn Guthmann for her years of dedication to the cause of CPO, and for allowing God’s “amazing deeds” to occur through her work!