CeeCee Wilson, of Cassopolis, is this week’s “Giving” volunteer of the week.

CeeCee volunteers as part of Cass Can, a grassroots organization which promotes projects such as the Cassopolis YOLO Community Garden, Cassopolis Farmers’ Market, Cassopolis/Diamond Lake CommUnity Walk and many other community worthy projects.

Q: Why do you volunteer?
It is what feeds my spirit and allows my actions to have a direct impact on the quality of my son’s and my life. By helping to manifest positive change in our community, my heart goes to bed happy and wakes to each sunrise with overflowing joy.

Q: Why is it important to volunteer?
I would say, “volunteer” is a word that can seem intimidating and often is accompanied with the excuses, “I don’t have time,” “I don’t know how,” and “someone else or more qualified then me will do it.” Instead, I believe “volunteer” should be replaced with the word “Doer.” Everyone can do. We are not born of this world to be inanimate objects but to engage and be active. Growth of our body should be far superseded by the growth of our soul. The soul grows by giving and the easiest way to give is to “do.”

Q: What inspired you to volunteer your time? Was it something that happened or a person that inspired you?
I was blessed to be born to two doers. My mother, Lois Nancy, and my father, Richard Neil Wilson, are two examples of souls walking in light and love. They not only cherished my brothers, sisters and me but everyone who crossed our threshold or their path. They still do. This June we will celebrate their marriage of 60 years and all the love and doing they have generated since my childhood and before. I had a very spiritual upbringing that embodied the principles of, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and, “Love thy neighbor as yourself.”

Q: What have you accomplished as a volunteer that you are most proud of?
I believe it would be God’s using me as an “inspiration” and people in Cassopolis actually seeing and feeling the positive light spreading throughout our community. A quote that resonates with me is …”To be inspired is great, to inspire is incredible.” — Bogdan

Q: As a whole, how engaged do you think your community is in volunteering?
Cassopolis is phenomenal, from our young girl scout troop taking on the community garden all the way to our retired volunteers who are restoring the Pioneer Log Cabin, we are a village of doers. I have personally been blessed to see small local business owners give, over and over again, to worthy causes.

Our Chamber of Commerce is all volunteer and it is experiencing exponential growth this year. Students at Ross Beatty Jr./Sr. High are chomping at the bit to do service and give back to the community. Cassopolis definitely is showing that where positive light is spread, the future is bright.

Q: What can we do as individuals to encourage others to give back?
GIVE: of yourself first, expecting nothing, and in return receive everything.