Washington Township volunteer makes Community Action “life’s work”
Pat Phillips of Washington Township is shown during the 50th anniversary for Community Action Southwest, where Phillips worked for 41 years before retiring in 2014.
Pat Phillips of Washington Township talks on the phone while working as a housing counselor for Community Action Southwest in 1994. She recently retired in 2014 after 41 years.
Pat Phillips was a low-income, single mother of three when she started a new job at Community Action Southwest in 1973. She was married at 16 years old, did not graduate from high school and was divorced at 21.
“I think that when you’ve lived with the issues that these people are living through, you’re able to relate to them and you can support them the same way other staff supported you,” Phillips said last week. “Whenever they see someone else successful, sometimes it helps them realize they too can be successful.”
Phillips, 72, of Washington Township, worked for Community Action for 41 years as a case worker and housing counselor, before retiring in 2014. Now, she volunteers with the nonprofit’s Volunteers in Tax Assistance Program, which helps low-income individuals and families file their taxes for free.
“I told a lot of people at the agency that if you ever need anything, just give me a call,” she said. “I worked with families and I just feel that even though I’m not working for a paycheck, I can relate to the families and I might have some knowledge they can use.”
Darlene Bigler, executive officer for Community Action, said she’s thankful for the 21 years she’s been able to work with Phillips.
“It really means a lot to us because she worked for us more than 30 years as a case worker, helping connect people with services,” she said. “Her retiring and coming back to work for us as a volunteer shows her commitment to help people and her commitment to our organization.”
Bigler said the agency provides adult and early childhood education opportunities for low-income families. They also offer financial literacy classes and operate all of Greene County’s senior living centers.
Phillips said she retired in 2014 to spend time with her husband, who was very sick at the time and has since died, but she still enjoys volunteering for the nonprofit.
“Everybody needs to have somebody to talk to,” she said. “I love to be around people and to be able to support them in whatever they’re doing. I like to think that because some of the things I went through, I was able to help other families.”
Phillips said she measures how well she did in the job for 41 years by the people who approach her and remember the advice or help she gave them at a critical point in their lives. She said once a lady approached her in an elevator and said that when she was a young parent, Phillips helped her get back on her feet.
“She said ‘I became a social worker because of the way you treated me,'” Phillips said. “And that’s what makes your life’s work worthwhile – that you made some kind of impact on someone else’s life.”
Bigler said Phillips is the type of dedicated volunteer they are looking for this month. She said in preparation of their tax assistance program, they are looking for volunteers to train and be certified by the IRS in January, just in time for the new tax season.
The volunteers will help people making up to $50,000 a year file their tax returns electronically from January to April. Bigler said they are looking for 10 volunteers in Greene County and 20 in Washington County.
“We can use as many as we can get,” she said.
People can sign up to become a volunteer on the website at caswg.org or by calling 724-852-2893.