Extracted from article by James D. Coppinger published in Spark Magazine (Oct 2025)
Augusta has always had a desire for personal connection–whether with family, friends, or neighbors—and those connections have always guided her. She grew up in a large tight-knit family on a working farm in rural Tennessee, and today family togetherness remains central to Augusta’s life. She says she lives by her father’s words, “Never stop fellowship with family; always stick together.”
Augusta’s work life was varied and meaningful. Growing up she worked on the family farm – all the kids did. As an adult she worked as a paraprofessional in local schools, where she loved connecting with children. After that, Augusta worked at Upjohn for nearly a decade. As retirement approached, she worried about finding ways to stay active and engaged. Then she saw a TV program about Milestone Senior Services, its mission, and the need for volunteers. She called and soon became a Senior Companion volunteer.
As a Senior Companion volunteer with Milestone, Augusta has a sustained connection with individual seniors who have limited access to the community and don’t have a lot of social opportunities. Augusta connects with about ten seniors each week on an ongoing basis, and she loves it. Augusta humbly says that it’s a two-way street, “It doesn’t just help those being served–it helps those providing the service.” A devout woman of faith, she often sees scripture lessons come alive through her work. Most of all, she’s grateful for all the people she’s met and the chance to keep learning new and fascinating things.
Milestone Senior Services is an AmeriCorps Seniors grantee for the RSVP and Senior Companion Programs in Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties. AmeriCorps Seniors empowers people aged 55 and older to serve their communities. The RSVP program connects volunteers with opportunities throughout the community. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Milestone’s Volunteer Services at 269-382-0515 or apply on our Volunteer Services webpage.
