August Volunteer of the Month

Barb Welty

Background
Barb grew up in Northern Michigan and
attended Goshen College. This is where she
met her husband Arlen. She has two sons that
are currently in high school and one dog.

Time volunteering
She began volunteering at LoveWay in
August 2007

Why she began to volunteer
Barb has volunteered with other organizations before and always thought it was important to get involved. Her kids are older now so she had some extra time and likes kids and animals so thought LoveWay might be a good fit for her.

Favorite thing about LoveWay
Her favorite thing about LoveWay is the kids. She says they are “so much fun” and have a different way of looking at things than adults do.

Favorite Horse
Her favorite horse in our barn is Shanna because she is very responsive and she likes her attitude.

First memory of LoveWay
Barb admits she was a bit nervous to start volunteering since she doesn’t have any horses of her own. She had grown up with cattle but wasn’t sure how horses would react in this kind of situation. She is a health educator so she was not nervous to start working with the kids.

In her spare time
When not helping with things at LoveWay, Barb enjoys gardening, backpacking, and reading.

July Volunteer of the Month

Arlen Welty

Background
Arlen grew up in Lebanon, Oregon where he lived
1 hour from the mountains and 1 hour from the
coast. He moved to Indiana with his parents when
he was younger. He attended Goshen College
for Biology/Secondary Education where he met
his wife Barb.

Time volunteering
He began volunteering at LoveWay in August 2007

Why he began to volunteer
He lives close and frequently drives by so he’s always known it was here. He was looking for opportunities for his sons to help and get involved in the community and thought it might be an interesting experience for him to work with the kids and animals.

Favorite thing about LoveWay
Arlen says his favorite thing about LoveWay is getting to work with such a diverse group of kids. He enjoys getting to know them and their different personalities.

Favorite Horse
His favorite horse in our barn is Shanna because of her “timid acceptance”. He says she is great because she can do just about anything with any rider.

First memory of LoveWay
Arlen remembers being a little apprehensive about volunteering because he wasn’t exactly sure what he was getting in to or what to expect.

In his spare time
He enjoys singing, playing the guitar and piano, gardening, hiking, and building things (carpentry).