So genuinely engaged, enthusiastic and supportive is Ram Lakshmanan about the Jewish Community Relations Council’s interfaith work, he’s affectionately known as Rabbi Ram. “He has earned the nickname through his unwavering presence within...

When Hillary Friedman moved to St. Louis 45 years ago, her background in social work and psychology made her a perfect candidate for a volunteer role at St. Louis University Hospital. She and her husband, Bill Friedman, an otolaryngologist, attended...

In 1976 at age 22, Ellen Schapiro set off on a cross-country trip on her Motobecane bicycle from Astoria, Ore., to Pensacola, Fla. Schapiro took the trip with her sister in search of adventure. Nearly 50 years later, Schapiro is still biking and seeking...

If there’s a cause that Wendy Flusser believes in, she’ll pitch in to do whatever volunteer work is needed. A good example is women’s reproductive rights.  Flusser, chairperson of Jews for Abortion Access, worked diligently on the petition drive...

In a way, Cathy Lander-Goldberg is like an Unsung Heroes whisperer. She has an uncanny ability to discover people, primarily women, who truly are courageous, resilient and inspiring, but who probably would have gone unnoticed had she not identified them,...

When Beth Saltzman was 12 years old, she got her first volunteer experience, helping out at Congregation B’nai Amoona. She remembers going to the synagogue on Trinity Avenue in University City. “We’d put out the kiddush cups and pour the grape...

When many people think of retirement, they think of slowing down. Not Nancy Wasserman Giannasi. After 34 years as an occupational therapist in the Special School District, she wasn’t ready to stop making a difference. In the past two years, Giannasi,...

Every spring, Alan Kirby’s classroom at Seckman High School in Jefferson County, Mo. shifts gears from its regular curriculum for one day. Kirby teaches German at the school, which is located about 30 miles south of St. Louis. During this special session,...

Working jigsaw puzzles is a rare means of relaxation for Sue Picus. The volunteer work regimen she has so happily embraced has also been a piecemeal activity. But Picus has taken the latter to a far more grandiose scale. The long-time registered clinical...

On a trip to Seattle some years ago, Dr. Bruce Frank and Enid Weisberg-Frank encountered a man begging for food. They offered to help and took him to a nearby restaurant. Their new acquaintance had difficulty ordering a meal. “It took us a minute to...

Reflecting on her younger years isn’t always easy for 79-year-old Helene Meyer, especially when she compares them to now. Today, she feels fulfilled. Productive. In the moment.  As artistic director of Slaying Dragons, a nonprofit whose mission is...