Shirley Guilford, 66, of Cassopolis, is volunteer at the Cass County Council on Aging.

What volunteer work do you do at the COA?

I volunteer at the front desk once a week on Mondays, and it’s just four hours. The rest of the time I’m here I am exercising. I’m here just about every day.

How long have you been volunteering at the COA?

It has just been a little over a year. They asked me if I would like to volunteer, because another lady wanted to cut back to [volunteering] one day a week, so they asked me if I would consider do it, and I said yes. That’s how it all happened.

What is your favorite part of volunteering?

I think it is all the socializing. I enjoy socializing a lot. I have a lot of friends here, so I really enjoy being here. It’s a really nice place, and I just enjoy all the people.

Why do you think volunteering is important?

My feeling is that is important to give back — to give back something that is not monetary. It’s good for me to give back because I do spend so much time here, so I can help out.

How would you encourage others to volunteer?

They might enjoy it. Also, for me, I wanted to volunteer earlier, but I felt like I didn’t want to be committed and locked in, because I like being retired and doing what I want when I want to do it. But I do really enjoy the volunteering one day a week, and maybe that would be something I would tell people. Even just one day really would get you out and get you out of your normal routine.