Volunteer Appreciation Month: Maria Pimentel-Gannon and Jack Gannon

COIN is thankful to interact with many dedicated, kind, and compassionate volunteers. Today, we give thanks for Maria Pimentel-Gannon and Jack Gannon.

To Maria and Jack: We are grateful for your steadfast service, your generosity, and your commitment to the greater Indy community. From the COIN network, our well-wishes to you both. Thank you!

Hear Maria's story:
 
 "To whom much has been given, much is required." I feel that I have been given so many blessings,
like being bilingual in Spanish and English, living a bicultural life, and being multilingual in other languages, as well as having been blessed with a husband who believes in and supports my call to volunteerism and ministerial work. Therefore, I feel it is my responsibility to volunteer and to give back to others any way I can, any chance I can, and to do as much as I can. I believe it is the right thing to do. I believe in making life easier for others, when and if I can, and I believe in making this world a better place in which to live with the things over which I have control. I appreciate the opportunity to serve and I’m honored and grateful to have the physical and mental ability to serve.

I feel very blessed and grateful to interact with other people and organizations that are like-minded in caring for and meeting the needs of a community that is too often marginalized, that is often voiceless, and that needs compassionate and non-judgmental assistance in maneuvering their way through our sometimes complicated systems, rules, laws, and expectations. In addition, I always enjoy the camaraderie of our gatherings!


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Hear Jack's story: 
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I want to use what limited attorney skills I have in immigration law to help my fellow citizens of the world. I feel good to have the ability and the potential to help someone with their legal needs, thereby making all my time studying, many sleepless nights, and  grueling schedule of working full-time, being a student, and being a new Dad most worthwhile. The COIN director and staff have always been very gracious and welcoming. One of the things that I like the most is that the director and the staff have always expressed gratitude and appreciation any time and for anything I have done to help.