Dan Ross of Saco may technically be retired, but he is not spending his free time fishing or putting on the golf course. Instead, he is keeping more than busy with volunteer work, which includes his “part-time” gig as a legal advisor for Maine’s immigrant community.

Recently, Ross, 71, was honored by Catholic Charities USA by being named as one of five finalists for the national organization’s Volunteer of the Year Award. The award has been given annually since 1998. Ross and his fellow finalists were selected from a pool of more than 300,000 volunteers across the country.

“I am really proud and honored to be nominated,” Ross said. “It’s hard work, but also tremendously rewarding.”

Ross, originally from Brooklyn NY, was a regular summer visitor to southern Maine for more than 30 years. He and his wife fell in love with the area, so it was a “no-brainer” to move here when he retired from his marketing career in 2016.

While volunteering at Catholic Charities Maine since 2018, Ross also served as president of Saco Bay Trails, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and maintaining recreational trails in the Saco Bay area, until last year.

Before his marketing career, Ross was a journalist and a published author of Acts of Faith: A Journey to the Fringes of Jewish Identity.

You had a successful career and decided to retire here, but what drove you to seek out volunteer opportunities?

“I wanted to be a part of the community, not spend my retirement living in a bubble, so I looked for opportunities where I could use my professional skills.”

What is your professional background?

[Smiles] “I think of this as my third career. I started out as a failed writer (Laughs), then I was a successful marketing guy, and now I’m happiest as a volunteer. Work is more fun when you don’t get paid. (Laughs).”

And what, exactly, do you do as a volunteer for Catholic Charities?

“I work for our Immigration Legal Services program in Portland. I’m not a lawyer, but I became accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice to practice basic immigration law. By completing that program, I’m authorized to help refugees, asylees (who have already gained asylum), and other immigrants navigate the legal system if they cannot afford an attorney.

“I have three main focuses. I help new Mainers obtain green cards, become naturalized U.S. citizens, and reunite with their families overseas. Family unification is the most difficult but also the most rewarding.”

You volunteer for Catholic Charities but you’re not Catholic.

“No, I’m not Catholic, but I have immense respect for Catholic Charities and its mission. It is on the forefront of assisting immigrants, and I think that stems from the deep Catholic tradition of helping the most disadvantaged in our society. I really believe in immigration and wanted to work with immigrants. My grandparents were Jewish immigrants to this country, and it’s an issue I feel passionate about.”

In today’s political climate, immigration has become a flash-point issue. Does this make your work more difficult?

“For me, it’s not about politics. It’s about people. I am helping people solve real problems so they can improve their lives and become productive members of our society. Instead of engaging in political debates, I believe we can find common ground when it comes to helping people live better lives.”

But it’s hard to ignore that immigration is becoming more overwhelming and challenging for several communities across the United States.

“What keeps me going are the individual success stories. For example, I recently helped a refugee reunite with the two-year-old daughter she was forced to leave behind when fleeing civil war in her home country. The daughter is now 16 years old, a U.S. citizen, and going to high school in Maine.

“These cases can take many years because the immigration system is so backlogged. Our country spends a lot more on keeping immigrants out than on supporting legal immigration. It takes asylum seekers at least six months and sometimes years to get a work permit. Meanwhile, Maine has a labor shortage while we have hundreds of people waiting around who are willing and able to work.”

Do you ever find yourself feeling overwhelmed by the challenges?

No, not really. That’s because I chose to fight for immigrants through direct service instead of advocacy. Advocacy can be very frustrating because you’re just one of a thousand voices, and progress is very slow. But I can see the difference I make in people’s lives every day. I’ve filed more than 250 applications during my time with Catholic Charities, and most of those have resulted in real improvements in my clients’ lives. I’m very grateful to Catholic Charities for giving me the opportunity to do such fulfilling and important work.

Randy Seaver can be contacted at [email protected].