It was a rare afternoon for Joe and Karen Solt.

At noon on Thursday, they were rocking back and forth on the porch of their Lehighton home. It was sunny and temperate — a perfect 78 degrees. The slight breeze moved through brass wind chimes.

And most unusual, the Solts weren’t volunteering.

Joe and Karen retired in 2017 and 2012, respectively, but as Joe puts it, they’ve been “working harder ever since.”

“There’s always something to do,” he said.

Joe and Karen’s time mostly goes to local organizations, like Family Promise of Carbon County — where they are both coordinators — the Lehighton Elderly Apartments and their church, People’s Evangelical Congregational in Weissport.

Karen says her love of volunteering stems from her near 40-year career as a registered nurse. “I have that need to help people,” she said.

But for Joe, a man named Eugene Mulligan taught him the value of lending a hand to others.

Joe is a veteran; he spent a combined total of 12 years in the Navy and the Army National Guard. But as a civilian, he worked in construction, a trade Mulligan helped him learn.

“He taught me almost everything I could possibly think of knowing in construction, plus more,” Joe said.

One day, Mulligan invited Joe to help out at a fundraising event for retired nuns at Immaculata College in Philadelphia. He spent hours crushing onions and potatoes into blinis. “I had a blast,” Joe said.

He served at that event every year — for 10 years — after that.

“They’d always say, ‘and back there, there’s Joe Solt. He’s not a Catholic, but every year, he’s here,’” Joe remembered. Mulligan also taught him that life was worth living, Joe added.

Joe often shares his joy alongside three other men in a gospel quartet, known as Lost and Found. The group sings at churches and events across the county, and they don’t charge for their performances.

Joe and Karen met in 1970 at a wedding reception. The bride was Karen’s cousin and a sister to one of Joe’s friends.

“She fell in love with the uniform,” Joe said of his and Karen’s first meeting. They married two years later.

The Solts’ volunteer responsibilities range from serving at a food pantry to making weekly meals for residents at the Lehighton apartments. At church, Joe is in charge of landscaping, and Karen runs the cards ministry; she makes handmade cards for congregants’ birthdays and anniversaries, or those who are sick or deployed.

When it comes down to it, Joe and Karen agree, they help out, because they believe it’s the right thing to do.

“God is love, and when you go out and help other people that need you, you’re sharing his love,” Karen said.

And for those looking to give back too with their community, Joe has a word of advice.

“Everybody has a little fear to start,” he said. “Try it. Once you start volunteering, you never quit.”

If you’re feeling brave after reading Joe and Karen’s story, you may want to consider registering for the Family Promise of Carbon County Annual “Cycle out Homelessness” event, taking place Sept. 28. Bike riding starts in Weissport and ends with a family ride along the D & L trail. Proceeds go toward supporting local families who are homeless.

For more information, about event registration, go to the organization’s Facebook page.