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Spotlight on RTMC Volunteers

Susan Hawfield, RTMC’s director of programs, often says, “If you need some inspiration -- talk to one of our volunteers!”  In this spirit, we welcome you to our first, “Spotlight on RTMC Volunteers”.  

Craig Arold -- Motivating youth to serve those in need

In the torrential rain, a team of 44 teenagers and 21 adults from Neelsville Presbyterian Church worked throughout RTMC’s Project Day to rebuild a home for an elderly widow, whom two weeks prior had lost her husband to a serious illness. The teenagers fixed her windows and doors, hung gutters, repaired the porch, built new cellar doors, supported and insulated the cellar, painted interior rooms, landscaped her yard and painted the exterior of the house.  Together, with the homeowner’s two daughters and grandchildren, the youth cleared the yard of dead trees, old tires and car parts – filling two dumpsters with the debris.  

You may ask, “Teenagers did all this work…in the driving rain? That’s right! Every single teenager on the team, not deterred by the weather, was committed to serve those in need.   And, perhaps no one was prouder of their accomplishments that day than their house captain, Craig Arold. 

Craig leads the teenagers in his church youth group to impart, among other values, the importance of serving people in need.  A strategic planning manager with Lenovo, active father to three teenagers, church leader and dedicated volunteer with RTMC, he exemplifies the adage, “If you need something done, ask a busy person.

Craig’s involvement with RTMC grew from his experience leading his church’s youth group at Group Workcamps.  Group Workcamps Foundation  ( http://www.groupworkcamps.com/aboutus.asp ) is a nonprofit organization that ignites Christian spiritual growth by helping people in need through construction projects.  

The Group Workcamp projects in which Craig participated were located in neighboring states. Yet, Craig knew that there were needs closer to home that could be served through the work of his church’s youth group.  In the fall of 2002 , Craig participated in Leadership Montgomery ( http://www.leadershipmontgomerymd.org/ ) and met Andy Shulman, an RTMC board member. Learning the two men had common interests, Andy introduced Craig to the work of RTMC.  By the time Craig graduated from his Leadership Montgomery program in May 2003, he committed to become involved with RTMC. 

For the past two years, Craig has been a House Captain for RTMC’s annual April Project Day. Doug Roldan, Craig’s Area Coordinator over last year’s project said, “Craig and his team did a phenomenal job, they were well organized and took on some pretty complicated tasks, I was definitely very impressed.”  Craig believes that the RTMC Project Day experience has taught the teenagers “how to do God’s work and serve others”….a value Craig, himself, certainly exemplifies.