We’re fortunate to have so many long-time volunteers at Circle of Concern. This spring we said farewell to two familiar faces who have contributed so much through the years, Bill and Nancy Parker.
Bill and Nancy have been part of the Circle family since 2004, when Nancy began volunteering as a caseworker and later a client resource manager. Nancy was a long-time board member and served as board president. Bill pitched in on Circle special projects for many years, then became a driver when he retired in 2018. Nancy says that she knew right away that Circle was a fit for her.
“I found that I was doing the work I felt called to do,” Nancy said. “Circle has been an educational experience for us, learning the needs of our community and trying to fulfill some little fraction of that. So many clients have taught us how much we have and how much they don’t have. I’ll always remember the impact they had on my life.”
Bill recalled helping an Afghan woman who had immigrated to the St. Louis area. “We hung curtains for her and put a lock on her door. I was intrigued by the way Nancy was helping someone who would be floundering without that help,” Bill said.
Another memorable Circle experience was with a young man from an unhoused client’s family. Nancy was on the Circle scholarship committee when he submitted an application. He was excited to sleep in the dorms since he’d never had his own bed. Nancy and Bill were deeply moved by his story. “He really touched our souls,” Nancy said. “He was a good student who needed an impetus to keep going.”
Bill and Nancy are moving to Pittsburgh to be closer to their daughters and their families. As they start a new chapter in life, they cherish the friendships they made at Circle. “We’re carrying away in our hearts a whole lot of people that we loved here,” Nancy said. “For me, it’s a kaleidoscope of the faces of people I’ve come to care about.”
