Article by Gwen Jones, Department of Family Services
(Posted 2026 January)
Marcy Stennes approaches the world with an attitude that is rare – genuine care for others and a willingness to help. Her career allowed her to work in a variety of places, providing engaging activities for members of the armed forces and their families. She spent much of her free time volunteering. After retiring, her volunteer work only grew. From tutoring children to feeding and sheltering people experiencing homelessness, Marcy has made a genuine impact on the lives of people in her community.
Marcy Stennes grew up in the small town of Wolf Point, Montana. Her father, Edward Stennes, passed away when she was young, so she and her two sisters, Linda and Patricia, were raised by their mother Marjie. Marcy’s paternal grandparents and maternal grandfather also lived nearby and were involved in the girls’ lives. After graduating from high school, she attended the University of Montana in Missoula, studying physical education and recreation.
After graduating from UM, Marcy sought a job in teaching but was unsuccessful. “Back then, unlike now, we had what seemed like a thousand teachers for every job, so it was hard to find one,” she recalls. Finally, she accepted a somewhat unusual job with the U.S. Army, working as a civilian at recreation centers in Vietnam during the war. She learned about the opportunity from coworkers at a summer camp who had recently returned from Vietnam. Her job involved leading members of the military in a variety of activities, such as games and bingo. She worked in Vietnam from 1971 to 1972 before returning home.
A few months later, Marcy accepted another job working in U.S. Army recreation centers, this time in Germany. When she first joined the organization, it was called Special Services but later became part of Family and MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation). After living in one place her whole life, Marcy enjoyed the opportunity to live abroad and travel. She worked at three locations during the three years she was there – Bindlach, Grafenwoehr, and Bad Kissingen. After returning to the U.S., she attended graduate school at the University of Oregon, studying Parks and Recreation Management.
Upon receiving her master’s degree, Marcy accepted a job in recreation at Fort Carson in Colorado. After a few years, she moved back to Germany, working at an Army recreation center in Pirmasens. This time she didn’t go alone – two of her coworkers from Fort Carson joined her. The rec center served members of the military and their families, so Marcy’s work included typical rec center activities, along with sports and fitness, music and theater, tours, and a youth program. During her free time, she enjoyed traveling and learning about local culture and, while not fluent, she spoke enough German to get by. “I didn’t have any problem going on my own and seeing places. You get a different perspective there,” she says.
After two years in Germany, Marcy accepted a job at a recreation center at Schinnen Army Base in the Netherlands. Most of the Dutch spoke English which made many things easier, including travel. While working for the military abroad, Marcy attended Ecumenical services, and in the Netherlands, she worked with the church’s youth group.
After six years, Marcy returned to the U.S., working first in Oklahoma before accepting a job with the Air Force in Biloxi, Mississippi. While there, she accepted a job in Virginia overseeing recreation policy and resourcing at Army installations.
Marcy moved to Northern Virginia in 1994 and for the first time in her life had to consider her commute when deciding where to live. Because her new job was in Alexandria, a friend suggested Burke. Marcy’s employer eventually relocated to Texas, but instead of going with them, she accepted a job at the Pentagon and later retired in 2013.
A year after moving to Burke, Marcy joined Burke Presbyterian Church (BPC) and got involved almost immediately. She and a friend went from helping at a craft fair one year to running it the next. She also volunteered with their “Snacks and Backpacks” program, tutoring children from Bonnie Brae Elementary School once a week. As new opportunities to help popped up, Marcy signed up. “A lot of it is you see it and you think, I can help with that,” she says.
One program that Marcy has volunteered with from the beginning is the Hypothermia Prevention and Response Program, a partnership between the nonprofit FACETS and more than 50 local faith communities, volunteers, organizations and corporate partners. Starting the first Sunday after Thanksgiving and going through April 1, partner sites take turns each week providing meals and a warm, safe place to sleep for people experiencing homelessness. For a few years, BPC members supported Westwood Baptist during its host week by helping onsite and providing meals. Later, after undergoing a renovation to add a large gathering space, BPC began serving as a shelter site.
Over the years, Marcy has performed all the necessary tasks at a shelter site – from preparing meals to spreading out sleeping mats to staying overnight in the church. This year, BPC’s host week will include President’s Day, requiring guests to spend both day and night in the church since the Lamb Center will be closed for the holiday. This means that volunteers will also provide lunch and offer activities to keep the guest entertained.
While BPC serves as the shelter site, other congregations and community groups help during the host week by providing volunteers and meals. “It’s amazing because it’s really a community. It’s our church community but we have people from Living Savior who will come and do a meal, and we’ve had people from the fitness center I belong to who came and did a meal one night,” Marcy says.
Last year, the program served over 50 people. Year after year, Marcy sees many of the same people return, giving her the opportunity to get to know them and learn about their lives. “It’s really heart wrenching with some of them. You wonder if you can do more for them,” she says. Sometimes there is good news, including a couple who finally found permanent affordable housing after years of trying.
Marcy is also involved in another FACETS initiative supported by faith communities – preparing meals for daily distribution to people experiencing homelessness. Once a month, she and her fellow BPC members prepare over 200 meals, which FACETS volunteers hand out in the Home Depot parking lot and at Christ Lutheran Church in Fairfax.
Not long after retiring, Marcy got involved in the newly formed nonprofit GrandInvolve and began tutoring students at Crestwood Elementary School in Springfield. As GrandInvolve expanded to other schools, Marcy stayed at Crestwood, becoming a regular volunteer in their Head Start classroom. She truly enjoys working there, saying, “It’s so fun and the kids are so cute. You never know what they’re going to say.” She marvels at how quickly the children learn, recalling one little girl who barely spoke English at the beginning of the school year. By January, the girl was fluent and loved to talk.
While not engaged in her volunteer work, Marcy continues to enjoy traveling and seeing the world. Since retiring, she and a friend go on a trip every year. They’ve traveled all over Europe, including Italy, Spain, Portugal and Scandinavia. One year, they visited South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe and went on safari. One of her favorite memories from the trip was having dinner in the home of a local family, learning about their lives and hearing their thoughts. This year, the duo joined a pilgrimage trip to the island of Iona in Scotland. The island is home to Iona Abbey, an old monastery that draws visitors from all over. She also visits her sisters regularly. One sister continues to live in their hometown of Wolf Point while the other lives in Idaho.
With the new year, Marcy is looking forward to new ways to give back. She and a teacher at Crestwood Elementary are starting a knitting club for third through sixth grade students. She also plans to volunteer at John R. Lewis High School, teaching students how to crochet granny squares. The finished squares will be made into blankets for FACETS to distribute to families. Like she says, she can help with that!
This article is part of the Golden Gazette monthly newsletter which covers a variety of topics and community news concerning older adults and caregivers in Fairfax County. Are you new to the Golden Gazette? Don’t miss out on future newsletters! Subscribe to get the electronic or free printed version mailed to you. Have a suggestion for a topic? Share it in an email or call 703-324-GOLD (4653).