Duane Faas
East Central Iowa Region
Ames, Iowa
 Whether it is cooking meals, hammering nails or preparing horse-drawn parade wagons, Duane Faas, a financial associate in Thrivent Financial’s East-Central Iowa region, is always ready to lend a hand. The beneficiaries of Duane’s generosity include practically the entire population of Iowa’s Story County.
Duane’s support of the Story County Chapter of Thrivent Financial includes regularly supplying, cooking and serving food at chapter events. He is also the driving force behind the chapter’s participation — via a horse-drawn wagon — in every parade in the county.
When the 2006 Special Olympic National Games came to Ames, Iowa, Duane led the chapter’s efforts to ensure its success by helping to raise funds and recruit volunteers. His contributions included staffing a concession-stand fund-raiser at an Iowa State University festival and creating a benefit golf tournament. During the games, Duane remained in a golf cart to personally chauffer athletes to and from the events.
Duane also dedicated many hours working on a Habitat for Humanity project in Ames — a labor of love that has provided a Story County family with a home. He was instrumental in the chapter’s successful bid for a Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity 2007 grant. As a result, another new home will be built for an Ames family in need this year.
Duane demonstrates his support for Story County’s young people in numerous ways. He honors the confirmands from eight Lutheran churches annually by purchasing, preparing and serving dinner to them and their parents. He helped found St. Paul’s Lutheran Pre-School and continues to serve on the school’s board of directors. He also helped construct a new playground for the Beloit Children’s Home, a campus of Lutheran Services of Iowa.
Duane is active in the Ames chapter of the Boys & Girls Club of America and in St. Paul’s Lutheran Church as a member of its Board of Trustees. |