Two take volunteering to a whole new level

JAMESBURG — Talk about giving back to your community.

When the Rev. Gary Filson noticed there was a problem with the steps at the back of the library, he didn’t just make a phone call.

“He goes down and gets concrete and remortared and re-bricked the steps,” said Richard Reinhardt, secretary of the Jamesburg CivicAssociation.

Doing volunteer work in the community is nothing new for Filson, who is pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Jamesburg. It’s also nothing new for Jim Neumyer, no slouch in the volunteer department himself. The Jamesburg Civic Association honored Filson and Neumyer as their 2009 JCA Citizens of the Year at the group’s annual Christmas party at the Forsgate Country Club.

“They were both such community achievers, we couldn’t exclude one and make them wait another year,” Reinhardt said.

Association members kept their two picks for 2009 a secret, right up to the night of the party. Both men were invited, but not told they were being honored. Reinhardt proceeded to read the tributes, without mentioning names.

Filson figured it out about halfway through the tribute, Reinhardt said.

“He just about fell out of his seat,” he said. “They had no clue. We kept it hush-hush. It was nice to surprise them.”

Filson is the founder of Fools for Christ, a 10-member clown group that mixes clowning with a Christian message. The group has ap- peared on the Today Show in Philadelphia and the FX Fox Breakfast Show. Group members perform for all ages, from youth groups to senior citizens at nursing homes.

Filson is also a member of the Jamesburg First Aid Squad and serves as police department chaplain. An Eagle Scout in his youth, his church hosts local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts.

He’s also been a driving force behind the Deacons’ Food Cupboard, a food pantry on the church grounds run by church deacons and a host of volunteers.

Neumyer has been a member of the Jamesburg First Aid Squad since 1973. He has answered more calls than any other squad member over the past seven years.

“Jim Neumyer’s middle name should be ‘volunteer’ due to his time spent … working with the borough youth and civic groups,” Reinhardt said.

Neumyer has also been instrumental in working with handicapped children, veterans and the needy through the local Elks Lodge and the Veterans Administration. He’s also worked with the Boy Scouts and coached local youth sports teams.

“I’m only giving you a fraction of what they do,” Reinhardt said. “We’ve only touched on a few things. It’s unbelievable what they have done, both of them. It’s just a scratch on the surface.”

Volunteerism has changed over the years, as more and more community members work outside their towns and sometimes commute long distances, he said.

“The word volunteer is just not what it used to be when we were kids,” Reinhardt said. “That’s what forced a lot of these paid positions. It’s not like years back, when the volunteers for the fire department were all of local farms and shops in town. Volunteer fireman are working in New York during the day.”

The Jamesburg Civic Association has been honoring residents since its inception back in 1996, he said.

“The candidates are picked by the group based on their many years of helping others within the community they call home,” Reinhardt said.