Many Bow residents find ways to help out, whether it’s serving at the Bow Men’s Club annual Lobster Fest or making sure kids stay drug and alcohol free.

Ray DeCorse and Van Mosher are among the Bow Men’s Club volunteers who help put together multiple events throughout the year, and are also among many residents in town who spend their time contributing to the community.

Too many cooks spoil the broth, so Decorse and Mosher stay out of the kitchen at the annual lobster meal and at the club’s monthly dinner meetings.

“I’m not a good cook,” said Mosher. “I’m usually not in the kitchen, so I am usually setting the tables up and helping in other ways.”

It’s the same story for DeCorse.

“I never do the cooking,” said DeCorse, a 10-year club member. “I do the slave labor.”

Mosher has been a member since 1999, and also volunteers with other groups, including the Little League.

“Giving something back is my personality,” Mosher said. “Being from a small town, it’s nice to meet your neighbors or someone from across town that you bond with for a long period of time. It’s tough not knowing people, so something like this gets you involved.”

DeCorse said he enjoys the variety the club provides him.

“Members come from all walks of life, so it makes life interesting,” he said. “Bow Men’s Club does a lot of good things for the community and it keeps people in contact with each other, which I think is very important.”

Another volunteer group in town is the Bow Alcohol and Drug Coalition (BADCO), which helps spread the message to the youth in town about the dangers drugs and alcohol can present.

Sandy Eldredge was one of the driving forces in creating the group six years ago as a Rotary Club committee, and she helped make it an independent group after several years working. Eldredge said it’s important for students to have another avenue for information other than the school.

“They do a lot in school talking about not doing drugs and alcohol,” Eldredge said. “To have community-wide support makes a lot of sense because they aren’t just getting support from one group, but Bow in general.”

One benefit of her volunteerism has been the amount of people Eldredge has gotten to know at the school, and another is a feeling of accomplishment.

“The feeling of connection and knowing more people because of this, you feel you have support in the community at all levels. It affects you in a variety of positive ways,” she said. “It’s a great support group in a lot of different ways.”