2020 Volunteer Recognition
In a year of extraordinary occurrences, we are extraordinarily grateful for our volunteers!!
This year we want to recognize and thank six volunteers. Each gives their time, expertise and help in a different way . . . and each is important to the ongoing ministry of Highlands.
Gary Forbes, has served on the Highlands Committee for seven years! Denver Presbytery acted to allow Gary to serve for a seventh year so that he could complete his two-year term as Moderator of the Highlands Committee. Gary has served as Moderator of the Personnel Sub-Committee and Moderator of the Operations Sub-Committee. He meets regularly with the Council of the Presbytery of Denver; and he loves to volunteer at Highlands, coming for several days of a week to work on projects. You can see his handiwork in the new deck on Staff House II, the front office remodeling and many other projects. This winter he plans to help with the new floor in the bathroom of Alice (staff apartments). We are grateful to Gary for all of his service!
Bob Alm is an experienced woodcutter who is helping us to maintain an healthy forest and provide fire mitigation throughout our site. Bob enjoys teaching others how to safely use a chain saw and fell a tree. This spring he saw that our wood barn was almost empty, and he worked diligently to help us fill the barn. The wood barn stores firewood for our fireplaces and campfires. Everyone who enjoys a s’more at Highlands benefits from Bob’s work! We are grateful for Bob and the other volunteers he has taught to help us maintain a healthy forest!
Phil Miller, is the quiet and unseen IT Department at Highlands. As a volunteer, he maintains our servers and computer equipment; manages our internet services, and installs new equipment. Recently he spent a weekend at Highlands adding new wireless routers. Wi-Fi is now available in all rooms in the Retreat Center and throughout main camp from the Program Office, past the chapel and Nurse’s Cabin. Phil is on call for emergencies and we frequently drop off one of our 8-10 computers for repair. We are grateful for Phil’s many years of service, and his support of our IT systems and equipment.
If it is Monday, you will probably find Don Lewis at Highlands. Don does a variety of projects in the Maintenance Department—cleaning and organizing tools and parts, problems solving broken equipment issues and repairing golf carts. Batteries are Don’s special area of expertise and he is a key leader in maintaining our fleet of golf carts. Golf carts enable staff to move throughout our property and in pedestrian areas, but they take a beating on our dirt roads! Don orders and picks up part, repairs wiring, replaces batteries, and provides regular maintenance to our fleet. We are so grateful to Don for his weekly visits to Highlands!
Peggy Marshall and Sarah Savage love to take a trip in Peggy’s RV. This year, they spent two weeks at Highlands, staying in the RV and helping with projects. Peggy and Sarah helped to split a mountain of firewood with our log splitter and then stacked it in the barn. On one trip, they replaced the batteries in our emergency lighting throughout the Retreat Center and every building at Highlands! Each emergency light must be labeled with the date of replacement; and this project needs to be done about every three years. Special people doing special projects are so important to maintaining our facilities!
Gary, Bob, Phil, Don, Peggy and Sarah . . . .Thank you for your time and talents given to Highlands!!
If you would like to volunteer to support the ministry of Highlands, please call or email Terry Buchanan, Interim Executive Director. We would love to have your help!