By SUE ELLEN ROSS – Staff Reporter

NORCO – When Erma Roussel was head cashier at a department store, she had to deal with quite a bit of paperwork. She no longer works in that position, but the paperwork hasn’t stopped.

In the course of her current volunteer work for many organizations, she still finds herself doing record-keeping. But that’s fine with her, she enjoys every aspect of the volunteer experience.

On a recent Wednesday night, she was in the kitchen of the Red Church Council of the Knights of Columbus in Norco, getting the food ready for Bingo-goers.

Homemade chili, hotdogs and nachos were on the menu.

Roussel’s group, the local Court of Christ the King Catholic Daughters, prepares the food and sells it as a fund raiser for the organization.

Roussel’s late husband Alvin was a member of the Knights of Columbus, and had mentioned to his wife that the local Girl Scouts were going to stop selling food at the weekly Bingo games held at the hall. He suggested that her group might want to take over.

“We were excited about the opportunity. We had been selling fruitcakes during the holidays as a fund raiser, but this is better,” said the dedicated volunteer.Laplace resident. “We started in the kitchen 15 years ago and we’re still here.”

And the Bingo players are glad they are. “They love this,” she said of the attendees. “For many of them this is supper.”

Roussel also joined the Retired Senior Volunteer Program and served at the Norco Adult Day Care Center. The busy retiree is a member of the Angels of Mercy and the Sacred Heart Altar Society. She also is on the advisory council for the Council on Aging.

Once a month, she is also on the other side of the kitchen at different Bingo games. These are sponsored by the Catholic Daughters and she volunteers her services as a bookkeeper. “Our group has Bingo every month and I am in charge of the reports,” she said. “Other members work in the kitchen.”

When away from her volunteer work, Roussel finds time to spend with her sons Alvin Jr., Joe, John and George; daughters Carol Arabie and Mary Brewer and her 13 grandchildren.

Advice she gives to those looking for positive ways to fill their time is to check into the volunteer experience. “It keeps me young,” she said. “Being a widow, it also allows me to keep active and socialize.”

For more information on RSVP, residents of the tri-parishes can call Fay Caire at (985) 785-1037.