Volunteer: Diana Godish

“For all she’s given, she’s received far more”– Diana Godish

By Jim Coppinger, Milestone Senior Services Volunteer

Although Diana Godish grew up on the east coast, she calls herself a Hoosier because she spent the majority of her life in Muncie, Indiana, where she and her husband worked and raised a family. Diana moved to Kalamazoo in 2016 to be near her daughter’s family after her husband passed. She is no stranger to Michigan having attended Hope College where she earned a bachelor’s degree and then went to Penn State for a graduate degree in zoology. While not an accountant, Diana volunteered as an AARP Tax Aide helping seniors fi le taxes for nearly a decade in Muncie. She also volunteered at Second Harvest—a huge food bank based in Muncie that served eight counties. No doubt, Diana’s most challenging and life-changing volunteer experience was working with inmates in one of Indiana’s maximum security prisons. Those inmates, some serving life sentences, are often characterized as the “worst of the worst.”’ Yet, through working with these prisoners, Diana truly saw the good within them; it strengthened her faith in humanity. Once Diana relocated to Kalamazoo, she knew she could not just sit—she says she’s always needed to stay busy and engaged. Though a bit of an introvert, she enjoys getting to know and help people. She continues her volunteer AARP Tax Aide work in this area—and during the tax season, helps six to eight senior fi lers each day that she works. Likewise, her work with incarcerated inmates continues as she gives her time to a Grand Rapids-based ministry called Reach the Forgotten. Diana writes uplifting letters to jailed individuals. Diana has also found herself working with local non-profi ts including Loaves & Fishes and Meals on Wheels at Milestone Senior Services. In Kalamazoo, she delivers meals one day a week to seniors at an apartment complex where she delights in getting to know the people she serves. Diane volunteers with Meals on Wheels through AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP program. Perhaps one of Diana’s most far reaching and impactful volunteer projects is called Clean Water for the World which began in the garage of a fellow church member. This parishioner, Jerry Bohl, an engineer, learned of the critical need for safe drinking water and created a portable water purifi cation system that incorporates a purifi cation fi lter and UV light to kill bacteria and viruses. It provides fi ve gallons of clean water per minute for a village of 600 people and operates by either electricity or solar power. Diana has worked with assembly teams to build these units for worldwide distribution at no cost primarily throughout Central America and the Caribbean. She now takes comfort and satisfaction knowing these ingenious devices make such a profound difference in the lives of so many. Milestone Senior Services (previously known as Senior Services of Southwest Michigan) is an AmeriCorps Seniors grantee. AmeriCorps Seniors empowers people age 55 and older to serve their communities. RSVP helps people fi nd a volunteer opportunity that fi ts their passion. There are currently opportunities in Kalamazoo County and a few in Calhoun County. Volunteers are needed with Meals on Wheels, Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes, Telephone Reassurance for Seniors, Milestone Home Repair, and more. Regular, fl exible schedules available. Contact RSVP at 269382-0515 or apply to volunteer at www.milestoneseniorservices.org.