A 'courageous' volunteer

Rockwell Collins Good Citizenship Award finalist Marla Schiess committed to raising funds for those with special needs.

By Dana Engelbert

For most people, preparing for a garage sale means sorting through closets, pricing items, placing a classified advertisement in an area newspaper, and displaying signs in the neighborhood. Holding the actual event typically requires time in the garage on Friday afternoon and evening, and nearly all day Saturday with hopes of making a little extra money.

Rockwell Collins Good Citizenship Award finalist Marla Schiess of Manchester, Iowa, has helped raise thousands of dollars for a year-round recreational facility for people with disabilities.
Photo by Paul Marlow, The Creative Gene LLC

For Marla Schiess and a team of about 60 volunteers from the rural community of Manchester, Iowa, holding a garage sale is a year-long endeavor that ultimately raises thousands of dollars for Camp Courageous – a year-round recreational facility for people with disabilities located in nearby Monticello, Iowa.

"There's a lot to do (to prepare for the sale), but it's very joyful," said Schiess, a production operator at Rockwell Collins in Manchester. "We don't turn anyone or anything away. We're always appreciative of people who drop items off for the sale."

In the beginning

Schiess first volunteered for the Manchester Community Garage Sale after being approached by her neighbor, Jackie Snyder, who asked for assistance in sorting items for an upcoming sale. Seventeen years later, she is a member of the garage sale's organizing committee, and was recently recognized as a finalist for the 2007 Rockwell Collins Good Citizenship Award.

In addition, Schiess schedules her vacation time around the garage sale and takes advantage of earlier working hours in the summer, which provide her with more time to volunteer.

But Schiess' involvement isn't the only thing that has grown over the years. Early on, the sale was held at different locations around this town of about 5,000. Today, the sale has a permanent location and is open from April through October. It is staffed Monday through Saturday by Schiess and a committee of four, as well as a 60-plus member volunteer team.

"I don't know how Marla manages to juggle everything," said Charlie Becker, executive director of Camp Courageous. "She's totally committed to the garage sale, and our campers are the people who reap the benefits."

Rockwell Collins employee and garage sale volunteer Sue Willie also admires her colleague's time management skills.

"It's a lot like running a department store with all volunteers for staff," said Willie, a quality production lead at our facility in Manchester. "Marla has always been known to make 'special deliveries' for items too large to be carried away in a car.

"She really enjoys her volunteer work and considers it a challenge to beat last year's goal," continued Wille. "She is a wonderful asset to our company and to Camp Courageous."

For Schiess, going the extra mile comes naturally. "Whatever we can make for the campers is great," said Schiess. "They are the reason we do what we do."

Every dollar counts

Each year, the Manchester Community Garage Sale has raised thousands of dollars for Camp Courageous, which serves about 5,000 individuals from various parts of the nation on an annual basis.

According to Becker, no camper is ever turned away for financial reasons, which is quite an accomplishment considering the camp runs entirely on donations.

"Every dollar counts and a lot of our needs are met through the garage sale," said Becker, noting the sale is the camp's largest annual fund-raiser. "It's the most pure form of charitable giving there is between the volunteers and the community members providing the goods."

Not only does the garage sale raise money for the camp, it also provides a valuable community service.

"It's a win-win-win situation," said Becker. "Residents get to recycle unneeded items, others buy the items inexpensively, and the money goes to Camp Courageous."

Although her colleagues contribute much of the fund-raiser's success to Schiess, she refuses to take credit for the fruits of her labor.

"Working at Rockwell Collins is what makes this possible," said Schiess. "I couldn't volunteer as much as I do if it weren't for my team and my company. They are very helpful and very understanding."

— Dana Engelbert is a freelance writer.

Volume 12 Issue 3 > One big, happy family > A 'courageous' volunteer
Volume 12 Issue 3 Deeply rooted in our heritage Delivering on our brand promise Feeding our economic engine One big, happy family A heart as big as the sky For the love of the land A 'courageous' volunteer Committed to customer support From Clay Jones Executive Profile - Kelly Ortberg Our heritage Letters to the editor Contributors in this issue Across our company Service anniversaries Retirees In memoriam Facility spotlight		A 'courageous' volunteer Rockwell Collins Good Citizenship Award finalist Marla Schiess committed to raising funds for those with special needs. By Dana Engelbert For most people, preparing for a garage sale means sorting through closets, pricing items, placing a classified advertisement in an area newspaper, and displaying signs in the neighborhood. Holding the actual event typically requires time in the garage on Friday afternoon and evening, and nearly all day Saturday with hopes of making a little extra money. Rockwell Collins Good Citizenship Award finalist Marla Schiess of Manchester, Iowa, has helped raise thousands of dollars for a year-round recreational facility for people with disabilities. Photo by Paul Marlow, The Creative Gene LLC For Marla Schiess and a team of about 60 volunteers from the rural community of Manchester, Iowa, holding a garage sale is a year-long endeavor that ultimately raises thousands of dollars for Camp Courageous – a year-round recreational facility for people with disabilities located in nearby Monticello, Iowa. "There's a lot to do (to prepare for the sale), but it's very joyful," said Schiess, a production operator at Rockwell Collins in Manchester. "We don't turn anyone or anything away. We're always appreciative of people who drop items off for the sale." In the beginning Schiess first volunteered for the Manchester Community Garage Sale after being approached by her neighbor, Jackie Snyder, who asked for assistance in sorting items for an upcoming sale. Seventeen years later, she is a member of the garage sale's organizing committee, and was recently recognized as a finalist for the 2007 Rockwell Collins Good Citizenship Award. In addition, Schiess schedules her vacation time around the garage sale and takes advantage of earlier working hours in the summer, which provide her with more time to volunteer. But Schiess' involvement isn't the only thing that has grown over the years. Early on, the sale was held at different locations around this town of about 5,000. Today, the sale has a permanent location and is open from April through October. It is staffed Monday through Saturday by Schiess and a committee of four, as well as a 60-plus member volunteer team. "I don't know how Marla manages to juggle everything," said Charlie Becker, executive director of Camp Courageous. "She's totally committed to the garage sale, and our campers are the people who reap the benefits." Rockwell Collins employee and garage sale volunteer Sue Willie also admires her colleague's time management skills. "It's a lot like running a department store with all volunteers for staff," said Willie, a quality production lead at our facility in Manchester. "Marla has always been known to make 'special deliveries' for items too large to be carried away in a car. "She really enjoys her volunteer work and considers it a challenge to beat last year's goal," continued Wille. "She is a wonderful asset to our company and to Camp Courageous." For Schiess, going the extra mile comes naturally. "Whatever we can make for the campers is great," said Schiess. "They are the reason we do what we do." Every dollar counts Each year, the Manchester Community Garage Sale has raised thousands of dollars for Camp Courageous, which serves about 5,000 individuals from various parts of the nation on an annual basis. According to Becker, no camper is ever turned away for financial reasons, which is quite an accomplishment considering the camp runs entirely on donations. "Every dollar counts and a lot of our needs are met through the garage sale," said Becker, noting the sale is the camp's largest annual fund-raiser. "It's the most pure form of charitable giving there is between the volunteers and the community members providing the goods." Not only does the garage sale raise money for the camp, it also provides a valuable community service. "It's a win-win-win situation," said Becker. "Residents get to recycle unneeded items, others buy the items inexpensively, and the money goes to Camp Courageous." Although her colleagues contribute much of the fund-raiser's success to Schiess, she refuses to take credit for the fruits of her labor. "Working at Rockwell Collins is what makes this possible," said Schiess. "I couldn't volunteer as much as I do if it weren't for my team and my company. They are very helpful and very understanding." — Dana Engelbert is a freelance writer.