Special people bring meaning to volunteerism

Mels Zioli has been a volunteer with Right to Life of Michigan since her last son was born on January 13, 1973. Mels remembers working at the voting polls while she was pregnant and passing out prolife literature. She also remembers in particular when she was in the hospital after giving birth to her son and seeing the tiny babies in the neonatal unit and thinking that the Supreme Court couldn't make a decision about taking the life of these tiny babies. Ever since then, Mels' volunteer experience with Right to Life of Michigan has been a family-oriented experience.

Mels and her family helped out "whenever" and "wherever," but most of the time they were together. Mels explains that when people saw what could be done as volunteers, it was really edifying for them. Mels and her family helped out by having baked goods sales, garage sales, book sales, and counting Christmas cards around the holidays. They even grew plants to sell in their back yard, and, at one point, her husband made hamburgers on the grill for everyone who came to their sale. Mels also spearheaded a voters' survey in Macomb County where Macomb was the first county to be finished.

Mels and her family still work with Right to Life of Michigan. Five children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild later, Mels is still active and can be sure that she planted a seed in her children who will carry the prolife message that "life is precious" on to their children. Mels can be an example showing that the whole family can be involved in volunteer work and that the family does matter.

 

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