Liz and Mac McLeod, site coordinators for Community Service League’s Fairmount satellite office, 800 S. Hardy Ave.
What others say about Liz and Mac McLeod:
“They are very outgoing people. They are just good Christians, and they want to help the people in any way they can. It’s hard to say; there are so many good things to say about them. They are very helpful to everybody who comes in, and they have a good attitude.”
-- Gerri Willis, Independence resident and a Fairmount Community Services League volunteer for 16 years
“It’s interesting they are a husband-and-wife team. You know, you’re retired (and) you want to relax, spend time with the grandkids. They have chosen to take five to seven hours a day, two days a week, out of their schedule to do this. I think they do this out of the goodness of their heart, out of their belief system and out of the fact that they know the benefits of what CSL provides. They are extremely genuine people when you see how they interact with the clientele and when you see how they deal with a difficult situation.”
-- Michael Levine, Community Services League executive director
It was supposed to be a one-day volunteering gig for Liz and Mac McLeod. A friend, Bill Hathhorn, was traveling to Texas for the winter, and he asked the McLeods to fill in for him as a Community Services League volunteer.
Thirteen years later, the McLeods say they are living the longest Thursday of their lives.
Now in their 47th year of marriage, the McLeods are both retired, and their grandchildren are at an age where they no longer need babysitters. So, every Tuesday and Thursday for four hours – plus any behind-the-scenes errands that need taken care of – the McLeods volunteer their time as site coordinators at the Fairmount CSL office, 800 S. Hardy Ave. It’s become a family affair as the McLeods often invite their grandchildren to help out when needed.
This morning, CSL will recognize about 100 volunteers with breakfast at the Drumm Farm Golf Club. Sadly, the man who started it all 13 years ago for the McLeods recently died. Independence resident William “Bill” Dean Hathhorn died Aug. 6 at age 75, just eight days before his 76th birthday.
What do you most enjoy about your volunteer work?
Liz: We didn’t want to sit at home and grow old.
Mac: Other people from our church were volunteers, and we met some of the people from the other churches. (The Fairmount CSL office is a combined effort through Fairmount Christian Church, Mount Washington United Methodist Church, Northern Boulevard United Methodist Church and St. Ann’s Catholic Church.) It just kind of grows on you.
Liz: It makes you feel good that you’re doing something for somebody else. It’s just a blessing. You have people who come in that really appreciate it, and then you have people come in and think we wheel it to them. We’re going to get our blessings one of these days.
Mac: One time, we had this one boy that we’d helped out. He came up and knocked on our door at home one day and gave me $20. He said, “You helped me when I needed it,” and he wanted to help somebody else. That’s the ones you do it for. There’s a lot of them that really appreciate what you do.
