Caught in the Act of Generosity: Ron Garcia-Herrera
by Christina Socorro Yovovich of the Radical Generosity Committee
Ron Garcia-Herrera first attended First Unitarian from 2001 to 2003. Then, life took him to Las Cruces, Palo Alto, and Santa Cruz, where he worked serving immigrant workers as a healthcare provider, and met Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta many times. In 2017, he returned to Albuquerque and First U. He has seen our church’s growth and its contrast to smaller congregations he’s attended. He’s also noticed we’ve improved in diversity, and in chances to network and navigate the church’s many opportunities.
Ron has volunteered in many public-facing roles at the church, including as an usher, on the coffee crew, with the Food Pantry, People of Color, Pride, and, currently, as the Membership Committee chair. He’s also helped to organize fundraisers and volunteers to help with social events. Most Sundays Ron comes to church before 9:00 and doesn’t leave until 1:00. In addition to the jobs he’s signed up for, he keeps an eye out for vacancies that need a last-minute hand.
Ron teaches conversational French, and travels to Western Europe twice each year for French and Spanish language immersion. He retired from the military after 30 years of service. And service is a theme for him. When asked what inspires him to volunteer, he simply replies, “to be of service to others.” When pressed, he adds that he’s a child of the 60s, and values like social justice, thinking of others first, and altruism have been a part of him his whole life.
In addition to these reasons, Ron enjoys how being a part of many aspects of church has helped him to see our interdependence, and has developed a strong sense of community in him. He loves to be a friendly face to all, and to help newcomers to orient themselves to all we offer. He learns new names, and as a part of the membership committee keeps track of people just starting to explore our church, making sure they get the welcome and the information that they need.
Ron’s future plans include to continue his devotion to his UU journey and to expand his volunteer efforts to other organizations as well, such as ushering for the Hispanic Cultural Center, and helping out at local senior centers. We at First U are lucky Ron knows our names, is often around to lend a hand, and is eager to help us all find our place in this loving community.
