Joe Grosek will certainly say that his experience at the Glenmary Farm changed his life. And he’ll also agree that the change didn’t come all at one time. Joe is a graduate of St. John University, Collegeville, Minn. After beginning law school, Joe became interested in volunteer work. Because his Catholic faith “has always been a huge part of my life,” Joe was attracted to the work and the mission of Glenmary, and he volunteered to serve as Farm manager in Vanceburg for one year. One year became two, and while Joe says the second year was more difficult, it was more rewarding, too.

“You start to ask yourself why you’re doing service work, and I realized I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. While you’re serving others, you’re also serving yourself,” Joe says.
About the time that Joe was deciding to change the direction of his life, Glenmary posted the new job of volunteer director and changed the position’s location from Glenmary’s headquarters in Cincinnati to an office in Vanceburg, Ky., minutes rather than hours away from the Farm. Joe applied and was hired for the position.

The newly located position has also been newly designed. The volunteer director is now a full-time position and Joe will have more time to directly oversee the Farm and lend assistance to the Farm manager. “Every group will probably see me,” he says.

Joe is also looking forward to networking with other volunteers programs. He recently attended a volunteer fair at the University of Notre Dame, a school that sends volunteers to the Glenmary Farm twice a year and has done so for many years.
“I’ll also be more of a presence in Vanceburg,” Joe says. “People will know who I am, and I’ll be a more stable presence for Glenmary in the community.”

In addition to his work at the Farm, Joe will also be responsible for recruiting managers for the Farm, although he says he’s fairly well stocked for volunteers for the foreseeable future. Matt Dooley begins his stint as Farm manager this month, and Joe already has three applicants to replace Bryan Reaka when he departs in July or August 2003. All of the applicants have worked at the Farm in the past, and so are knowledgeable about the program and the area.

Joe will also help recruit and channel volunteers to other Glenmary mission areas, such as Brother Tom Sheehy’s Habitat ministry in South Georgia.

Joe is from Lead, South Dakota. The second oldest of eight children, he participated heavily in athletics when he was growing up. He still enjoys tennis, lifting, soccer and football.

At one time, Joe worked in a gold mine which, he says, allows him to feel some affinity for coal miners in Kentucky. But he has never had the opportunity to visit a coal mine—yet! “I’d like to see a coal mine,” Joe says.
Joe’s father has visited him in Vanceburg, and his sister Heidi worked as a Farm volunteer the week of March 22. “She teaches 4th grade in Colorado Springs,” Joe says.

He hasn’t had an opportunity to establish much of an away-from-the-Farm life in Vanceburg, Joe says. But the congregation at Holy Redeemer Church has become his family away from home.

Joe’s goal for the Farm is to more successfully connect the program with the work of Glenmary in other areas and to make sure that information about vocations to Glenmary priesthood and brotherhood as well as opportunities for lay ministry opportunities with Glenmary are available to volunteers.

To contact Joe:
Glenmary Volunteer Office
PO Box 7
Vanceburg, KY 41179
jgrosek@glenmary.org