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“When you volunteer, you shouldn’t expect anything in return.”
These are comments made by Mark Kaufman as he stood beside an outdoor grill behind the concession stand at McDonald County High School.
Kaufman has become the official cook at home games for the American Legion Post 392 baseball team, which uses a ballfield on school property.
“I heard they needed someone to cook the burgers and hot dogs,” he said, “so I offered to help.”
Kaufman wasn’t born in McDonald County, but he has deep roots there. His mother came from Anderson and his father from Rocky Comfort. For the first few years of his life, he lived in the Kansas City area, but then his parents returned home and that’s where Kaufman graduated from high school and settled down.
Much of Kaufman’s volunteer work is helping young people. At the ballpark, he sometimes gets ahead with his cooking chores and spends some time watching the game.
“Usually I get to see the end of the game because most everyone has eaten and things are slow, so I can watch the team for a while,” he explained.
Although his own daughter is 30 years old now, Kaufman still takes an interest in the welfare of kids. Asked about “today’s kids,” he said, “They’re different...not in a bad way, but different.”
Kaufman thinks kids today have more opportunities and more temptations, and he feels most don’t have much concept of doing without.
“I remember when we got a color television,” he said. “We were still living in Kansas City and kids for blocks around came to our house on Saturday morning to watch cartoons. Kids I know today can’t imagine that.”
A carpenter by trade since he was 16, Kaufman is also a substitute teacher which keeps him in touch with many young people. He also does some carpentry work for the school. Not all his work at school is professional and earns a paycheck, he does some volunteer efforts there as well.
A smile crossed his face as he said, “This spring I got to go to the prom.”
As plans were being made for the senior prom, the planners asked Kaufman to build some props for what is a really big night at school. He, of course, willingly built what was needed and, in turn, received an invitation to the prom.
“It was fun,” he said. “I hadn’t worn a suit and tie for years, and I really enjoyed watching the kids have a good time.”
Asked if that was a nice reward for helping with the prom, he replied, “When you volunteer, you shouldn’t expect anything in return.”
Wise words from a good McDonald County neighbor.
“When you volunteer, you shouldn’t expect anything in return.”
These are comments made by Mark Kaufman as he stood beside an outdoor grill behind the concession stand at McDonald County High School.
Kaufman has become the official cook at home games for the American Legion Post 392 baseball team, which uses a ballfield on school property.
“I heard they needed someone to cook the burgers and hot dogs,” he said, “so I offered to help.”
Kaufman wasn’t born in McDonald County, but he has deep roots there. His mother came from Anderson and his father from Rocky Comfort. For the first few years of his life, he lived in the Kansas City area, but then his parents returned home and that’s where Kaufman graduated from high school and settled down.
Much of Kaufman’s volunteer work is helping young people. At the ballpark, he sometimes gets ahead with his cooking chores and spends some time watching the game.
“Usually I get to see the end of the game because most everyone has eaten and things are slow, so I can watch the team for a while,” he explained.
Although his own daughter is 30 years old now, Kaufman still takes an interest in the welfare of kids. Asked about “today’s kids,” he said, “They’re different...not in a bad way, but different.”
Kaufman thinks kids today have more opportunities and more temptations, and he feels most don’t have much concept of doing without.
“I remember when we got a color television,” he said. “We were still living in Kansas City and kids for blocks around came to our house on Saturday morning to watch cartoons. Kids I know today can’t imagine that.”
A carpenter by trade since he was 16, Kaufman is also a substitute teacher which keeps him in touch with many young people. He also does some carpentry work for the school. Not all his work at school is professional and earns a paycheck, he does some volunteer efforts there as well.
A smile crossed his face as he said, “This spring I got to go to the prom.”
As plans were being made for the senior prom, the planners asked Kaufman to build some props for what is a really big night at school. He, of course, willingly built what was needed and, in turn, received an invitation to the prom.
“It was fun,” he said. “I hadn’t worn a suit and tie for years, and I really enjoyed watching the kids have a good time.”
Asked if that was a nice reward for helping with the prom, he replied, “When you volunteer, you shouldn’t expect anything in return.”
Wise words from a good McDonald County neighbor.
