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Elburn man finds passion volunteering at Lazarus House

Some people find passion in their jobs. For others, it's in their hobbies, their hidden talents, their childhood dreams.

Pat Leach discovered his passion in 2011 when he attended a volunteer orientation at Lazarus House in St. Charles.

The Elburn resident started picking up food from a local store and dropping it off at the shelter once a week. His involvement slowly expanded into overnight stays and driving guests to appointments.

Seven years later, Leach now serves as a member of the Lazarus House board, leads a mission awareness team and staff advocacy group, and has become a go-to volunteer for filling in the gaps wherever needed.

"You just fall in love with the place," he said. "It just gets a hold of you."

Leach stumbled upon Lazarus House while casually searching for places to volunteer several years ago, but he didn't commit right away. It wasn't until he attended a funeral for a childhood friend's brother - and listened to the eulogy of a man whose life was filled with acts of kindness and charity - that he was inspired to become more involved in his community.

It didn't take long for Leach to fall in love with everything about Lazarus House: the staff, the guests, the rewarding feeling of giving back. A few years into volunteering, he said, he recognized the magnitude of the organization's impact when he walked into the shelter and saw a fellow Elburn community member and her kids seeking assistance.

"That might have been the moment that made me want to take it to the next level," Leach said. "It really got me thinking that I'm really helping my neighbors. It's not just some faceless group of people."

Since joining Lazarus House this past March, Executive Director Leanne Deister-Goodwin said she has been continuously impressed by Leach's hands-on approach as a board member and volunteer.

In addition to maintaining an active role at the shelter, he took on the responsibility of coordinating community outreach efforts and staff appreciation events. He helped to get a new website up and running, and he organized a team to build floats so the nonprofit can participate in local parades.

"He's kind of a poster child for (creating) a loving, supportive and empowering culture," Deister-Goodwin said. "He's independently driven to conceptualize new ways to help."

Leach estimates he spends between 10 and 15 hours a week on Lazarus House-related work - and if he had it his way, that number would be higher.

One of his greatest challenges is balancing his volunteerism with his job as president of Control Plus Inc., an Elmhurst-based industrial sales company. He also serves as a park commissioner for the village of Elburn, is involved with the local chamber of commerce, volunteers with the Lions Club, and is active in the youth sports community.

Leach's civic involvement stems from his upbringing, he said, pointing to the countless times he'd witness his parents and their friends helping in the community. He and his wife, also an avid volunteer, now hope to set a good example for their three sons.

The whole Leach family has been involved in some way at Lazarus House, which serves the Tri-Cities and western rural Kane County. The organization offers an emergency shelter, as well as a meal program, transitional housing, rent assistance and case management services.

The experience has been eye-opening for Leach, who credits the staff members for their compassion as they help guests through some of the worst moments of their lives.

"It's not just the stereotypical homelessness you see on TV. A lot of people just run into a string of bad luck - lose a job, domestic violence, all kinds of reasons," he said.

"A lot of those people are trying really hard, and they just can't make it. ... Ultimately, the goal is to get them back out as happy, productive, proud-of-themselves members of society."

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