To celebrate February, the month of love, we are dedicating a series of blog posts to couples who volunteer together. Last week we introduced to you Dick and Carol Anglin, who have been volunteering in our family dining room for 15 years. Today, meet Chris and Paula Theotocatos, who have been avid volunteers throughout their lives and have recently connected with SVdP.
Chris and Paula met and fell in love in an office where they worked together. Paula worked in human resources and Chris in marketing. (Chris said it took him three years to convince Paula to go on a date with him!) Married for 43 years, the couple is the perfect team. They enjoy working together so much that they’ve continued their office romance as administrative volunteers in SVdP’s office! Their duties have included assisting with mailers, making thank you phone calls to donors and other fund development projects.
Why did you choose to volunteer at SVdP? How do you feel about volunteering in the office?
Paula: We have always known about St. Vincent de Paul. Since we are used to being in an office environment, we thought that this would be a great way volunteer together.
Chris: When we decided to volunteer, we knew from the beginning that unless it was manual labor that we couldn’t handle physically, we would do anything that is needed and useful. If that is serving food -- great. If it’s office work--great. We are here to help, no matter what the job is.
Why do you enjoy volunteering together?
Paula: We think alike and complement each other. We work together well!
Chris: When you work together, you get closer because you learn to communicate better and solve problems together. It’s a good feeling to know that the time we spend volunteering contributes to helping society and people in need.
What’s the secret to a happy marriage?
Paula: Communication and expressing appreciation for the other person.
Chris: It’s not just communication, it’s communicating so that you are on the same level. You can be rude and communicate something, but until you learn how to communicate effectively, you are not going to get your point across. The other thing is to learn to play off of each other’s interests and skills. Paula doesn’t like to cook so I do all the cooking. I don’t enjoy finances so Paula handles it. We learn how to complement each other.
How do you get the most out of a volunteer experience?
Paula: Do your research and compare your options. Even though you are not getting paid, you should treat it like a job. Take you work seriously and you’ll naturally gain more satisfaction out of it.
Chris: If you have a skill, no matter what it is, use it to help others.
Interested in volunteering with us? Singles or couples, we need your help! Read about volunteer opportunities on our website or call our volunteer office at (602) 261-6886.
