Sandy and Dave Prather

Name: Sandy and Dave Prather

Age: She is 52 and he is 58.

Family: Children, Melissa Horan of Browns Valley, Brandon Prather of Live Oak, Justin Prather of Olivehurst, Nic Prather of Marysville and Courtney Prather of Arboga; and eight grandchildren.

Residence: Arboga.

Occupation: Sandy is a teacher at New Life Christian School; Dave is a waste water plant operator for the Olivehurst Public Utility District and a Realtor for Coldwell Banker.

How long have you lived in the Yuba-Sutter area? Both are lifetime residents.

Hobbies, interests: They both enjoy camping and other activities with their family. Sandy is a quilter and enjoys knitting. Dave jokingly said he likes cutting firewood.

For what groups do you volunteer? Sandy leads the New Life Women's Ministry which makes food baskets for needy families for Christmas and organizes fundraisers and activities.

She also started a quilter's group called Women of the Cloth through New Life Christian Church which makes quilts for babies born at local hospitals, for Hands of Hope and A Woman's Friend.

She also tutors children ages 5 to 13 years old for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and has been a missionary to China to teach English to kindergarten children.

Both volunteer at the Lord's Gym of Yuba County — Sandy works at the desk and Dave works as a floor manager or as a janitor, mostly. They also cook a Thanksgiving dinner for New Life Christian Church.

How do you fit volunteering into your schedule? Sandy — "We just set time away in our schedule and include it as a part of our everyday life."

Words of advice: Sandy — "He who has friends, must be a friend." Dave — "It takes a strong man to do some good, rather than bad."

Why be a volunteer? Dave — "It is better to give than to receive. If you have something wonderful, you just want to share it." Sandy — "Being a volunteer is something that comes from within. That's why Christians are excited to give, knowing that Jesus gave his life."

Positive and negative points about volunteering: Dave — "We feel blessed every time we do it." Sandy — "We are very optimistic, so we try to think about the good. Volunteering gives us a positive outlook on life. If I'm thinking bad, I think about changing my point of view. What I don't like about volunteering is that some people only volunteer around Christmastime. People should volunteer out of their heart, not just for the time of year."

Quote: Sandy — "The world should always be a little better because a man has lived."