A good person may be hard to find … but that’s not the case at Oak Crest. In fact, 15 Maryland nonprofits recently launched recruiting efforts at the community. For the second year in a row, Oak Crest’s Volunteer Fair drew a crowd and brought out the best in everyone.

“Our residents and employees answer the call to service for each other and are highly active in the Baltimore region. They tutor in schools, volunteer in hospitals, and give their time to those less fortunate. They’ve literally given thousands of hours of their lives to help others,” says Oak Crest Community Services Manager Elaine Wagenfuehr.

Mary Jane Foster, who attended the Volunteer Fair and has been a resident of Oak Crest for nine years, says that since she and her husband, Gene, were teachers in the Baltimore City Public School System, they realize the value in giving back to the community, particularly to young adults.

Though she is already involved with the Student Scholar Fund and the Treasure Chest at Oak Crest, curiosity brought her to the Volunteer Fair. “I was interested to see if there were other organizations that would be a good match for me,” she says. “In retirement, you really can choose to do what you want to do. And volunteer work is especially meaningful to my husband and me. It is an energizing experience for the spirit.”

Jeff Getek contributed to the writing of this article.