Volunteer's interest came from break with reality
By Joanne Fox, Journal staff writer | Posted: Monday, November 20, 2006
Michael G. "Mike" Wood has a particular affinity for the Siouxland Sleep-Out, because after a severe break with reality, he became one of the homeless that he now missions for.
Wood huddled with close to 300 other participants in the Siouxland Sleep-Out for the Homeless, Nov. 17 at Explorer Stadium. This is the second year for this fund-raiser to assist homeless people in Sioux City.
Sleep-Outs have been going on for many years to bring about awareness to homelessness. Bob Fisher of Wayzata, Minn., formalized the Wayzata community effort in 1995 and that group now raises about $2 million each year for the local mission, Wood said.
"Bob told his story at an Iowa Council on Homelessness meeting in September, 2005 and inspired the Siouxland Sleep-Out organizers to launch the November, 2005 event in Sioux City," he explained.
Wood's interest in volunteering came "from things out of control" in his life. During the time he was living in Winnetka, Ill., he had a nice home, nice family, and good job. A bout with manic-depressive illness -- for which he was hospitalized 12 times over a couple of years in the mid-1970s -- caused him to lose all the "nice" and "good" elements of his life. For a short while, he became one of the nation's homeless.
"I prefer looking at those days through the many humorous times," he reflected. "I had lost reality, but not consciousness."
Wood estimated he spends about two-thirds of his time volunteering, mainly assisting and advocating for people who are homeless as well as the mentally ill population. In 2004, he helped form a nonprofit Iowa corporation, Mental Health Association of Siouxland and obtained IRS tax exempt status for the group, as well as an affiliation with the National Mental Health Association.
His other current volunteer responsibilities include: board member, Siouxland Mental Health Center; member of the Iowa Council on Homelessness and Iowa Mental Health Planning Council; executive director, Mental Health Association of Siouxland and the Siouxland Chapter of Dual Recovery Anonymous; residential manager, Henry Muller Hall for homeless men; and phone counselor, Lisa Line, an all-volunteer phone answering service for those experiencing anxiety, depression, loneliness.
"It's never too early or too late to begin giving something back," the 60-year-old Wood said.
But it's not just his experience and illness that has driven him to volunteer in these areas.
"My greatest inspiration was my step-daughter, Lisa Marie Hoefer," he mused. "Within a few days of her college graduation from the University of Iowa, she was diagnosed with a rare thyroid cancer which took her life in about 18 months. Lisa taught all of us, all the time."
And part of that education involves, not a defeatist attitude, but "accepting and admitting the hand we are dealt," Wood felt.
Part of the hand the Sleep-Out participants were dealt this year was overcast skies and northwest winds gusting to almost 30 mph, which made the mid-30 degree temps feel closer to the teens. That didn't seem to dampen Wood's optimism.
"What is so great about the Siouxland Sleep-Out is that so many volunteers get so far out of their individual comfort zones," he pointed out. "The community spirit gets them outside on a very chilly night."
Last year's Siouxland Sleep-Out organizers thought the event would find them pitching tents with a few friends, Wood noted. Some found it astonishing that 100 people would get out that first night at Explorer Stadium.
"We believe that knowledge of the homeless issues is spreading," Wood said. "The word of our sleep-out was shared throughout the state via the Iowa Council on Homelessness. We went from Sioux City's first event in 2005 to nine this year, including communities in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Dubuque, Iowa City, Marshalltown, Ottumwa, Mason City and Waterloo."
This year, Wood anticipated more than 250 "sleepers" raising about $50,000.
"You can't put on an event like this without good people," Wood insisted. "As a side note, there will be about 25,000 volunteer hours spent at the nine locations throughout Iowa as an indirect result of our initial Sioux City effort."
Joanne Fox may be reached at (712) 293-4247 or joannefox@siouxcityjournal.com.
VITA
Name: Michael Wood
Hometown: Evanston, Ill.; moved to Sioux City in 1979
Education: 1963 graduate of Evanston Township High School; awarded a B.S. in Taxation Accounting from DePaul University, Chicago, 1970; a B.A. in Psychology, Briar Cliff University in 1998; Licensed IRS Enrolled Agent since 1983
Professional: While living in Chicago, corporate controller for several large advertising agencies and ultimately chief financial analyst for the largest mortgage banker in the country; moved to Sioux City as district manager of H&R Block in 1979; joined the staff of Opportunities Unlimited in 1997; began working with wife Cynthia in their business, Complete Accounting Tax Service
Personal: married to wife Cynthia since 1985; one son and a stepdaughter; stepdaughter Lisa died in 2002
How he's making a difference: by volunteering in the areas of homelessness and mental health, specifically with the second annual Siouxland Sleep-Out
Wood huddled with close to 300 other participants in the Siouxland Sleep-Out for the Homeless, Nov. 17 at Explorer Stadium. This is the second year for this fund-raiser to assist homeless people in Sioux City.
Sleep-Outs have been going on for many years to bring about awareness to homelessness. Bob Fisher of Wayzata, Minn., formalized the Wayzata community effort in 1995 and that group now raises about $2 million each year for the local mission, Wood said.
"Bob told his story at an Iowa Council on Homelessness meeting in September, 2005 and inspired the Siouxland Sleep-Out organizers to launch the November, 2005 event in Sioux City," he explained.
Wood's interest in volunteering came "from things out of control" in his life. During the time he was living in Winnetka, Ill., he had a nice home, nice family, and good job. A bout with manic-depressive illness -- for which he was hospitalized 12 times over a couple of years in the mid-1970s -- caused him to lose all the "nice" and "good" elements of his life. For a short while, he became one of the nation's homeless.
"I prefer looking at those days through the many humorous times," he reflected. "I had lost reality, but not consciousness."
Wood estimated he spends about two-thirds of his time volunteering, mainly assisting and advocating for people who are homeless as well as the mentally ill population. In 2004, he helped form a nonprofit Iowa corporation, Mental Health Association of Siouxland and obtained IRS tax exempt status for the group, as well as an affiliation with the National Mental Health Association.
His other current volunteer responsibilities include: board member, Siouxland Mental Health Center; member of the Iowa Council on Homelessness and Iowa Mental Health Planning Council; executive director, Mental Health Association of Siouxland and the Siouxland Chapter of Dual Recovery Anonymous; residential manager, Henry Muller Hall for homeless men; and phone counselor, Lisa Line, an all-volunteer phone answering service for those experiencing anxiety, depression, loneliness.
"It's never too early or too late to begin giving something back," the 60-year-old Wood said.
But it's not just his experience and illness that has driven him to volunteer in these areas.
"My greatest inspiration was my step-daughter, Lisa Marie Hoefer," he mused. "Within a few days of her college graduation from the University of Iowa, she was diagnosed with a rare thyroid cancer which took her life in about 18 months. Lisa taught all of us, all the time."
And part of that education involves, not a defeatist attitude, but "accepting and admitting the hand we are dealt," Wood felt.
Part of the hand the Sleep-Out participants were dealt this year was overcast skies and northwest winds gusting to almost 30 mph, which made the mid-30 degree temps feel closer to the teens. That didn't seem to dampen Wood's optimism.
"What is so great about the Siouxland Sleep-Out is that so many volunteers get so far out of their individual comfort zones," he pointed out. "The community spirit gets them outside on a very chilly night."
Last year's Siouxland Sleep-Out organizers thought the event would find them pitching tents with a few friends, Wood noted. Some found it astonishing that 100 people would get out that first night at Explorer Stadium.
"We believe that knowledge of the homeless issues is spreading," Wood said. "The word of our sleep-out was shared throughout the state via the Iowa Council on Homelessness. We went from Sioux City's first event in 2005 to nine this year, including communities in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Dubuque, Iowa City, Marshalltown, Ottumwa, Mason City and Waterloo."
This year, Wood anticipated more than 250 "sleepers" raising about $50,000.
"You can't put on an event like this without good people," Wood insisted. "As a side note, there will be about 25,000 volunteer hours spent at the nine locations throughout Iowa as an indirect result of our initial Sioux City effort."
Joanne Fox may be reached at (712) 293-4247 or joannefox@siouxcityjournal.com.
VITA
Name: Michael Wood
Hometown: Evanston, Ill.; moved to Sioux City in 1979
Education: 1963 graduate of Evanston Township High School; awarded a B.S. in Taxation Accounting from DePaul University, Chicago, 1970; a B.A. in Psychology, Briar Cliff University in 1998; Licensed IRS Enrolled Agent since 1983
Professional: While living in Chicago, corporate controller for several large advertising agencies and ultimately chief financial analyst for the largest mortgage banker in the country; moved to Sioux City as district manager of H&R Block in 1979; joined the staff of Opportunities Unlimited in 1997; began working with wife Cynthia in their business, Complete Accounting Tax Service
Personal: married to wife Cynthia since 1985; one son and a stepdaughter; stepdaughter Lisa died in 2002
How he's making a difference: by volunteering in the areas of homelessness and mental health, specifically with the second annual Siouxland Sleep-Out
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Mike lou wrote on Aug 22, 2008 11:52 PM:
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Mike lou
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