Volunteer for The Salvation Army
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“At eleven months old Aaron only had me; we were alone in the world — together,” says Keith. The circumstances that surrounded their “new normal” were certainly not what Keith had expected or wanted.
Nonetheless, he was determined to be the best dad he could be to Aaron, instilling in him love, courage and a passion for serving others.
“I had volunteered with The Salvation Army as a young adult but once I had a child I knew it was something I wanted to pass on to him. Because I had taught Aaron the phrase ‘there but for the grace of God, go I’, we went to the Phoenix Salvation Army service center and started volunteering often. That includes serving Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners to those in need,” recalls Keith.
As Aaron entered his teen years he invited his friends to help volunteer and developed a group of peers that would serve with him yearly. All of the dedication of a devoted dad with a servant’s heart was not only replicated in Aaron’s life, but the life of his friends as well.
Keith confides, “I decided early on that I would not date, but focus on raising Aaron. However, I prayed and asked God to bring me a great woman inside and out — a real live Angel to love — once Aaron reached 18 years old.”
On December 25, 2010 Keith and Aaron went to help serve dinner at The Salvation Army and got to work setting up their station. As a managing volunteer, it was Keith’s duty to set up and then meet each person who signed up to help that day and assign them positions.
As Keith tells it, “across the room, through a black curtain, emerged an incredibly beautiful lady. I had no idea who she was but determined to find out. I said to myself, ‘who is that?’” His nearly 18 year-old son could read him him like a book and quickly said “don’t do it dad; don’t do it.” Keith replied, “Dude, I’ve got to,” and I walked 75 yards in her direction, wondering what in the world he was going to say.
“She was standing with two women who I assumed were her daughter and mother and I asked if they were looking for a volunteer opportunity,” reminisces Keith.
Suffice it to say, single mom Amy, her mother and daughter ended up working in Keith’s station. He was endeared to Amy as he watched how intently she prayed for those they were going to serve. As the evening was coming to a close, Keith wanted to create a way to get in touch with Amy again and gave her his card asking her to contact him for future volunteer opportunities.
Amy emailed Keith on January 6th inviting him to contact her next year to volunteer again. “I shouted out to Aaron, ‘she wrote me, she wrote me,’” says Keith. To which Aaron replied, “no way! Why would a woman who looks like that call you?”
At the risk of losing a great Salvation Army volunteer, Keith emailed back asking if they could see each other socially. Amy was recently divorced and asked if they could just be friends. Keith was crushed, but agreed, keeping in mind that the basis of great relationships is friendship.
Keith and Amy communicated through email which led to letters, texts and phone calls. On January 21st — five days after Aaron’s 18th birthday — Keith and Amy had their first date. Keith knew that God was answering his prayer for an Angel to love as he learned quickly that Amy’s beauty on the inside far exceeded her exterior beauty.
This year Keith and Amy are celebrating their first wedding anniversary. Last year, the couple came home one day early from their honeymoon in order to serve at The Salvation Army in Phoenix at their Thanksgiving dinner.
Keith testifies; “When you give, it comes back to you. It sure did for me. God heard my prayer and He provided. We will never stop serving with The Salvation Army!”
