When some people think of volunteering their time, they think of it as being a chore. Modern society tells us that we should always be paid for our work. But as good stewards, we know that isn’t true — we all have talents that we can give back to God and our parish.
Matt and Kim DeBord feel blessed to have the opportunity to serve. They both grew up with strong examples of service from their parents.
“My parents were always involved in volunteering at the parish when I was a child,” Matt says. “When the kids started going to school here, it just felt natural to volunteer and help out. I learned the lesson of volunteering and service from my parents. It is my responsibility to pass down the value of service to my children.”
“There is so much volunteer work that needs to be done, and we are happy to fill in where we can be helpful,” Kim adds.
The DeBords have four children — Charlie, Claire, Will, and Molly. Matt has been a member of our parish since birth, while Kim joined in high school when her family moved to Olympia.
Kim and Matt host new families and are parent ambassadors at St. Michael School. They also assist with ushering, greeting, and serving donuts at Sunday Mass, while their children serve as altar servers. In addition, Kim is in a small faith group with moms from the school.
Both Matt and Kim would encourage other parishioners to get involved in a ministry.
“Ask around, what are other friends or people you know doing?” Kim says. “Ask them how you can help or where you can sign up. We are involved because we are invested in this parish and school and want to continue making it the most amazing place.”
The DeBords have certainly found that they’ve grown in faith through their involvement.
“Serving has helped us stay focused on what is really important, and that is our faith,” Kim says. “It keeps us accountable and redirects our focus. There are so many things trying to get our attention, and serving and being part of the school and parish brings it back into focus.”
“Whenever we volunteer at Mass, we feel closer and more involved and invested in the service,” Matt adds. “We get more out of it, and the connections we’ve made make the Mass more meaningful.”
Saint Michael Parish is a very special place to the DeBord family.
“I believe Saint Michael is truly a ‘family of families,’” Matt says. “We have gotten to know so many wonderful families during our time with the church and school, and we consider the parish community to be our extended family.”
“The community is like no other,” Kim adds. “When we go to Mass and look around at all the family, teachers, friends, and other people who are part of our story because of Saint Michael’s, we feel so lucky.”
The DeBords also note that when you get involved in a ministry, it doesn’t need to be a lifetime commitment. Kim encourages people to try something once and see if they like it.
“It can be scary to try something new, and you don’t know what to expect,” Kim says. “But a lot of times, that is when the best things happen.”
“Getting involved and meeting new people is the only way to truly create the connection with other parents and parishioners,” Matt says. “If you just show up and don’t get involved, you miss out on the opportunity to form meaningful connections that can last a lifetime.”
In their free time, the DeBord family enjoys spending time at sporting events and visiting extended family.