Derrick Blakely, a retired newspaper reporter and practicing Catholic, is making the most of his retirement years through a unique service organization. The Ignatian Volunteer Corps is a Catholic organization that connects retirees to service opportunities and integrates the spiritual life holistically into service for others. He volunteers at St. Leonard’s Ministries, an organization helping 400 people annually with job readiness, education, and self-confidence.
The volunteers meet regularly to debrief their experiences and encourage one another in their faith. Another volunteer, Don Rosanova, says, “I don’t talk that much about religion to my friends, but at the IVC, that’s the focus. I find that very stimulating.”
Blakely says, “By challenging people to live their faith… a challenge I think a lot of people take seriously and make an effort to do, we’re all practicing, and nobody gets it right, and nobody gets it right all the time. But the key is in the effort.”
Read more about their story here.
Photo by Brad Weaver on Unsplash