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 Gary Voss
St Louis, MO
Mid North St Louis County Chapter
As congregational service team director of the Mid North St. Louis County Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Gary has done a fantastic job of clearly defining the chapter structure for volunteers at the congregational level. He holds congregational coordinator training sessions on a regular basis and conducts one-on-one training on the online system to new coordinators. His approach is one that is well received and appreciated by his volunteers. He has been a supporter of getting youth and adults together to accomplish great things and encourages the congregations to be involved in JOIN HANDS DAY.
He is a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Ferguson Missouri, where he serves as the church treasurer, sits on the congregation council, teaches Bible class, does substitute preaching, and serves as an usher, greeter or reader, as needed. Gary spearheaded “Together We’re Better,” a fund-raiser through the Scrip program, and he coordinates the GivingPlus® Program for Zion’s Child Development Center. He not only gives his time to his congregation and programs, he also gives of himself on a monthly basis as a blood platelet donor. He is 20-year supporter of Joni and Friends, a group that has distributed more than 20,000 wheelchairs in 60 countries and has trained hundreds of ministry and community leaders. He became an active part of Joni and Friends after speaking at a Church and Disability conference and has worked to expand the group’s presence in the St Louis area.
What is most impressive about Gary is his commitment to the causes and organizations he believes in. Using his connections with Joni and Friends and one of their programs, Wheels for the World, he initiated a Care in RegionsTM project in which he single-handedly enlisted nine chapters to work together in a collaborative effort between Thrivent Financial and Wheels for the World. Gary promoted the project and Thrivent Financial through various avenues including KFUO, a local Lutheran radio station, KSDK, a NBC-TV affiliate, newspaper articles, and 10,000 fliers that were distributed to local churches. The combined effort resulted in 90 volunteers contributing more than 1,200 volunteer hours and raising $29,000.
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