By Fred Finch staff

Volunteers at Fred Finch Youth Center have long played a major role in its success. Maybe no other couple has a longer history working for the youth of Fred Finch Youth Center than Annis and Dave Beutke.

Annis remembers when Fred Finch was still an orphanage, “My first knowledge of Fred Finch was as a pre-schooler coming here with my mother who was in the Baptist Church. There was a mending day and the ladies from the churches would come and mend holes and sew on buttons. And so I came with my mom way back before I even started school.” Annis then went to school with several children from Fred Finch at nearby Sequoia elementary school and remembers thinking “that these are normal, everyday people.”

In her adult life, Annis continued to give selflessly of her time and energy working at the Fred Finch Thrift Shop, previously located in the Dual Diagnosis building. She describes the Thrift Shop as a place where “People donated clothes and nick-knacks and whatever, and we sold them. We made enough to make good contributions. They bought one of the vans with the contribution. We made quite a bit.”

When Annis and Dave were married in 1946, Dave brought his tradition of giving to Fred Finch from the Methodist church. That tradition continues today as both Annis and Dave serve on a recently formed outreach committee to local United Methodist churches.

Dave says, “We are trying to bring back the Fred Finch program into the church program which has not been there in the last couple of years. It’s like the squeaky wheel gets the grease,” he explains, “and if you want additional support you’ve got to let people know what you’re doing. And this is part of our job to let people know. All we gotta do is just tell the story. To let people know you gotta get on the rooftop and say, ‘Hey, I’m here!’”

Over the years the Beutke’s relationship has been more than just philanthropic. They have been close neighbors since 1960. So close that one of their daughters married a former Fred Finch resident. When asked what motivates them to volunteer their time at Fred Finch, Dave replies, “It’s about finding need. And we know the need exists. There are so many pressures on youth today. We think the program is worthwhile supporting. And we want others to support it as well.”

Asked the same question, Annis responds, “We just have this very close, friendly feeling about this place because we’ve known it all our lives,” she says, and mentions her daughter and son-in-law. “We’ve been neighbors for 40 years. It’s almost like family, you know, because it’s been part of our life. So if you’re going to pick something, pick something you’re going to feel good about.”

For more information about volunteer opportunities at Fred Finch, contact Vanessa Gregory at 510-482-2244, ext. 266, or send an e-mail message to vannessagregory@fredfinch.org. The Fred Finch Youth Center website is http://www.fredfinch.org.