Thursday, September 17, 2020

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT - SEPTEMBER 2020

Leigh Cash


Leigh began delivering meals for WCCOA when her sons started going to school during the day. A stay-at-home mom at the time, she was looking for another way to help others since her sons weren’t needing her as much. The smiles she gets from the seniors she delivers to makes her day and fills her heart with such joy!

Now, Leigh’s oldest son is attending BGSU and the other is a sophomore at Perrysburg High School. Leigh enjoys spending time her family on her parent’s boat, knitting and crocheting, reading and making dinners with her husband. 

Thank you, Leigh, for your service to the Wood County Committee on Aging!



 Amy Lanning


Amy first realized what great joy she found in spending time with seniors during her senior year of high school. At that time, her church youth group visited residents at a nearby nursing home. Amy was fascinated to hear their childhood stories and about their experiences over the decades. At that time, Amy would have loved a career in the field of Gerontology, but figured a degree in the medical field was the only option and she had no interest in that line of work. Fast forward 30-some years to October 2016 when Amy stopped by the Senior Center in search of an evening volunteer opportunity. Since then Amy has been helping with Tuesday night dinners at the Wood County Senior Center. She has really missed seeing the clients and staff since the centers closed, so she has since started volunteering on a Home Delivered Meal Route in the meantime.

Amy grew up in Rollersville, Ohio and graduated from Gibsonburg High School. She went on to study English (professional writing) and Radio/TV broadcasting at Capital University in Columbus.  Amy was a news producer at WTOL-TV in Toledo until 2003 when she started working at BGSU, where Amy is still employed. She has worked in the Counseling Center, the Athletic Department and now in the School of Earth, Environment and Society.

Amy is a mom to Noah, age 24, who is presently a doctoral student in philosophy at Syracuse University; Sasha, age 23, a recent graduate of Southern Illinois University with a degree in exercise science; and Asa, a 2020 BGHS graduate, now attending OSU to pursue a degree in computer engineering. Amy volunteers at the monthly food pantry at First United Methodist Church. She is a member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, where she volunteers as a worship cantor, vocal quartet member, scripture reader, Stephen Minister, and several other capacities including homebound communion and Wednesday Night Live. She enjoys singing, pie baking, gardening, watching college football and basketball, and bike rides on the Slippery Elm Trail.

Thank you, Amy, for your service to the Wood County Committee on Aging!