St. Pius Parishioners Making a Difference

Old hands at helping hard to replace


For 22 years, Joe and Bobbie Driscoll have cooked warm meals every week for needy folks at the Dorothy Day Center in St. Paul. When they walked out the door after retiring Wednesday, it was unlikely the center would find anyone like them again.


Nonprofit leaders call them "the greatest generation of volunteers." Largely retirees who often worked one job for life, they've brought the same dedication to unpaid service. Now, while more than 1.5 million Minnesotans volunteer, one of the largest numbers in the nation, few are sticking with an organization more than a few years.


Their attrition is prompting many charities, arts groups and hospitals to recast their volunteer programs to make them more attractive -- and less time-consuming -- to their children and grandchildren.

Read the rest on the Star Tribune page, complete with photo of St. Pius Parishioners!