Volunteer Spotlight: Lon Buss

Lon Buss served in many volunteer roles prior to Family Service Rochester, spending years on the national and local boards for Lutheran Men in Mission and disaster response aide to help victims rebuild their homes, including three to St. Croix, USVI, and most recently to Paradise, CA.

After retiring as an IT Programmer/Analyst and moving to Rochester with his wife in 2017, Lon met neighbors who are staff at Family Service Rochester. They told him about FSR and our many volunteer opportunities, and he began volunteering in 2018. Lon has donated not only his time and talents but his truck to help move clients, haul leaves and brush, and pick up food donations for FSR Fresh.

Lon recalled a time when there was an overabundance of donated flowers; in hopes of distributing them all, he delivered flowers to the elderly ladies in his neighborhood, saying, “It was great to bring them just a little joy to their day”. Lon also coordinates the Meals on Wheels cooler loading and mows multiple lawns in the summer. Lon said the most rewarding part of volunteering is “assisting FSR staff in helping members of the community through their wide variety of programs”. He went on to say, “I volunteer because we have been blessed in so many ways and I want to try to be God’s hands and feet in this world. My motto is: I will do what I can, where I can, when I can and as long as I can. When I no longer can, I hope and pray someone who can will be there for my family, friends and neighbors.”