When it was time for Jack and Gracie Heller to start thinking about retirement, they knew they didn't want to just sit back and relax. "Jack kept telling me, 'you have to retire, you have to retire,'" said Gracie Heller, 66, who retired last year from Frederick County Public Schools, where she served as a school secretary. "I told him, 'I don't want to sit on the porch and swing.'" For the Hellers, life after work has been anything but boring. Instead, they have volunteered for a seemingly endless list of community organizations and events. They volunteer for nearly every Celebrate Frederick event, including Frederick 's 4th. They serve as guides for the candlelight home and church tours during the holidays. They act as judges for 4-H at county fairs throughout the region, including Frederick , Carroll and Montgomery counties. They play Santa and Mrs. Claus during the Christmas celebration at the Weinberg Center -- where they also serve as ushers at performances throughout the year -- and Jack is Kris Kringle during the annual Kris Kringle parade. Jack cooks for La Paz during In The Street, and the Hellers work at the soup kitchen of Calvary United Methodist Church, where they were married and have been members for 47 years. Jack also serves as head usher at Calvary. With the exception of Gracie's work as a docent with the Frederick Historical Society and Jack's service with the Frederick Police Department Auxiliary, where he has logged more than 500 hours, the two can usually be found together in their various volunteer capacities. "Someone always says 'if one is around the other one is around,'" said Jack Heller, 68, who retired in 2008 after eight years of driving a school bus in Frederick County. He has also worked as a plumber and steamfitter for the federal government for 25 years and as a salesman for Noland plumbing supply. The Hellers said their volunteer work allows them to constantly meet new friends as well as reunite with old ones. Their goal is to meet and help as many people as possible in the Frederick community. "There are just so many people out there you don't know," Gracie Heller said. "You can never have enough friends." They also say getting out in the community helps keep them active and young, so active that family members often have a difficult time catching up with them. "My son always says 'Dad, you're so busy -- do you think you could pencil me into your schedule,'" Jack Heller said. "I don't want to sit around." Despite the considerable demands on their schedule, the Hellers said their efforts are worth every minute, giving them an opportunity to serve others while also having a good time making new friends. "It's a lot of fun," Jack Heller said. "It feels good to be needed. If someone asks us for help and we can do it, we're always glad to help." *Originally appeared in The Frederick News-Post on July 15, 2010.