“You just feel it.” – Marilyn’s FROM Journey

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“If you look at why I am here…you just feel it,” Marilyn, Flat River Outreach Ministries (FROM) volunteer, shared. At 92 years young, Marilyn is one of our oldest and longest continuously serving volunteers at FROM. Volunteering since the turn of the century, she’s served for 26 years, logging nearly 10,000 hours just since 2011! She and her daughters highlighted the camaraderie of volunteers, the folks she met, and the friendships that kept her involved over the years. These days, she volunteers in the craft area with her daughter, Beverly, but many will remember her from her days as the volunteer thrift store director, a position she held from the early 2000s until her retirement in January 2013. She has loved volunteering with her family over the years.

She shared in a 2013 FROM newsletter that she “fell” into the role as Thrift Store Director. “I had taken my daughter’s place as a supervisor, just overseeing one week a month, but we needed someone to provide direction and make decisions,” she shared in the newsletter. Marilyn was part of the team that moved our headquarters from Main St (the current home of Alpha Care Center) to our Fulton St location. She was also involved in the expansion of the thrift store when the donation room was added in December 2011. Serving as a volunteer isn’t always easy, but for Marilyn, it can be deeply rewarding when we all come together to serve. “It can be a hard job, but it works better when we’re working together,” Marilyn shares.

Marilyn highlighted stories from the early 2000s when volunteers would work together to stock the store – often taking clothing up and down multiple flights of stairs. She also appreciates that the volunteer role can be molded to your interests and hobbies and encourages everyone to consider signing up and trying it out – or at least pop into the thrift store for a shop! “I think you should really look into it. We go pretty much on what your hobby is,” Marilyn said. “It’s what you like to do; you’re not just given a job.”

“Marilyn’s dedication to serving others and supporting the community is truly inspiring. Her words are a powerful reminder of our shared purpose,” Wendie, FROM Executive Director, shared. “In the midst of daily tasks and responsibilities, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture – but at the heart of it all, we are here to make a difference in the lives of others.”

The Cure for Your Real Estate Headaches

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Reduce Taxes and Burdens by Giving Property

Sometimes the cost and hassles of owning real estate outweigh the benefits that your property once offered.

Can you relate to any of these ownership headaches?

  • Managing repairs, finding tenants, and collecting delinquent payments for rental properties
  • Maintaining and paying the bills for a vacation home you seldom visit
  • Deciding what to do with farmland or commercial property that your heirs don’t want

If you have real estate that you no longer need or care to manage, you can reduce your costs and headaches by giving all or part of it to Flat River Outreach Ministries.

 

When you give real estate to Flat River Outreach Ministries, you will receive a charitable deduction at the time of the gift. You’ll also avoid the immediate tax bill on its sale.

Even better, there are ways to give real estate that will generate lifetime payments for you and your loved ones. Receive the steady income you need — without all the hassles! We’d love to show you how.

Is giving real estate a good option for you? Learn more by calling Arianne at 616.897.8260 x 135 or emailing arianneh@fromlowell.org