News Photo by Alyssa Ochss Joe Garber is shown at the library.

ALPENA — Since he was very young, volunteering has been a part of Joe Garber’s life.

Garber, 59, is a Chief Credit Officer at Citizens National Bank in Cheboygan, but he also does a lot of volunteer work around Alpena.

Garber was inspired to volunteer by his parents — both of them volunteered for many service clubs. He said his parents indirectly got them involved in volunteering through their actions and set an example for him.

He’s been a part of many organizations including North Eastern Michigan Rehabilitation and Opportunity Center for more than a dozen years and the Alpena Optimist Club. Currently he is the president of the Alpena County George N. Fletcher Library Board of Trustees, a trustee at Alcona Health Center, and a volunteer for MyMichigan Health Alpena.

His job also helps him to volunteer in the community since community involvement is a requirement for the job, but Garber started volunteering when he got out of college.

“Probably right out of college, so, probably 1986 when I got out of college started my first job here in town,” Garber said. “I started working, you know, volunteering then.”

Garber said the idea of giving back to the community is what keeps him passionate about volunteering and helping out.

“I think giving back to your community,” Garber said. “I think trying to make Alpena the best community that it can and I think the citizens have to be involved in it.”

Garber enjoys volunteering too because he likes the causes and organizations he’s involved with as they try to better their community.

“It’s just trying to make the community better and keep it moving forward. I think (that) is why I stay involved in these groups,” Garber said. “I think between the library and Alcona Health and the hospital committee I’m on, I think I’ve been on those committees over 15 years. I like their causes. I like what they’re doing and I think they’re vital to the community is why I like to stay involved.”

Not only does Garber volunteer when he can, but he also has a group of close friends who also volunteer. Some of them volunteer for the annual wild game dinner — something Garber was asked to help out with this year.

Garber’s passion for volunteering has led to his involvement on so many boards because those boards have reached out to him to help.

“I think they’ve all approached me about being on committees,” Garber said. “Either somebody I knew on the committee said ‘Why don’t you ask Joe’ or in this case in the library my mother was really involved in the library and as there’s retirements on the board I was asked to apply to send my letter to the county.”

There are many places and organizations a person can get involved with if they want to volunteer. Garber said one important thing about volunteering is finding something that interests you and to do research when looking for an organization to join.

“I don’t think somebody can tell you to go volunteer,” Garber said. “I think you have to find what niche or what areas interest you because that’s where I think you’ll give your best effort, is when you feel some kind of an attachment to it.”

Garber said he would like to see younger people get involved in the community though he acknowledged it was hard. One of the boards Garber serves on added a younger member less than two years ago, which Garber said was a breath of fresh air.

“I would like to encourage some younger people, I say younger you know late 20s into their 30s kind of get more involved in the community and get invested and attached to the community,” Garber said.

Garber said the best part of volunteering is the feeling of giving back to the community.

“I think it’s the feeling that I’ve given back to the community, hopefully helping the community,” Garber said. “Again it’s important for community members to be involved in the community. It’s hard to get the community to grow or help change things if we just sit on the sidelines. So I think it’s important to be in these groups to help facilitate change if change is needed. Sometimes change isn’t needed, maybe it’s just trying to do your best to improve on what’s there or keep the legacy going of whoever started that group.”