SALEM COMMUNITY CENTER Volunteer gets a lot out of giving her time

The 74-year-old grandmother likes the positive attitude at the center.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SALEM -- Marian Yeagley says that being a volunteer at the Salem Community Center has been a blessing.
"There's an opportunity every day for volunteering. If you find your niche, it makes a real difference in your life," she said.
A volunteer all her adult life through her church and charities, Yeagley, 74, of Salem, chose to volunteer at the center when it opened two years ago today.
There were other volunteers who welcomed new members and gave tours. They left, but Yeagley stayed on as the center's only volunteer. Now she's listed on the staff schedule.
What does she do? "Whatever I'm asked to," she said.
Mark Equizi, the center's executive director, said Yeagley can do anything.
"If I asked her to sweep the gym floor, she'd do it and do a better job than anyone in the place," Equizi said. "I wish we had more like her."
Won award
Equizi and other staff members submitted her name to Medical Mutual of Ohio, whose senior advisory council has been sponsoring "Outstanding Senior Volunteer" awards for 14 years.
Five hundred names were submitted. Yeagley was one of 39 people who were honored at a luncheon last month in Independence, Ohio.
Yeagley said she was humbled by the award, which she said showed her, "What I do does matter."
The Salem center offers both exercise and health programs along with other community activities such as art displays and music.
Yeagley's daughter, Cathy, is an obstetrician in Atlanta. Her son, David, is an attorney in Cleveland and the father of four. Her husband, Judge Duane Yeagley, died in 1996.
Yeagley said it was a case of one door closing and another door opening.
"As a member of the community, you have an obligation to serve the community," she said. "You give back."
Her roots are now in the city after her family moved from London, England, to the United States in 1935. Her father, who is 101, became the administrator for the former Salem City Hospital.
Important role
When the center was proposed, she got involved. Salem has been losing manufacturing jobs as companies with deep roots in the city have closed.
The center, Yeagley said, "Is a bright, shining light in a community that needs something very positive."
Since the center is the new organization in town, she believes it must work hard to prove itself. She works the front counter, where an effort is made to greet everyone who enters. She handles pool passes and parties and a hundred other unglamorous chores. But Yeagley finds the positive atmosphere at the center exciting and challenging.
"I love what I do," said Yeagley, who hopes she sets an example and demonstrates a work ethic to some of the center's younger employees.
She believes that if a smile or remembering a name pleases a member, that's good. And it's even better when a friendship springs up. Yeagley said it's a matter of treating people the way you would like to be treated.
Equizi said, "She is not only a terrific worker but is also a great friend to all of the employees and members."
Says Yeagley, "They are part of my family."
There's a joke at the center that Yeagley will be allowed to leave -- 10 years from now.
With a smile, Yeagley said she's staying "until they throw me out the door."
wilkinson@vindy.com