Bonnie Voss, a local realtor and councilmember for the Town of Margaret, has a passion built around caring for the community, the area, her family and her friends.

Bonnie grew in Birmingham to a mother she said taught her to be compassionate to others. “My mother was the original giver,” she said. “She was always taking clothes or food to someone in need.” She added her mother gave her a life lesson one time when she was questioning the work that needed to be done. “She told me, ‘We are givers,’ adding ‘The takers are everywhere, but the givers walk with the Lord.’” Those words have stayed with Voss over the years and the work she does today comes from the strength she finds in the memories of her mom.

Voss works for Musgrove Abbott Realty in Leeds. She holds a Brokers License and is a designated CRS, ABR and CSP. She serves on the Children’s Advocacy Board, the St. Clair Association of Realtor’s Board, the MCAC Board for the Town of Margaret and the MCAC Beautification Board. “I’m very proud to be with these organizations,” she said.

She serves the fifth district for the Town of Margaret. “I work with the mayor to make executive decisions on improvement for the town,” she said. “I’ll tell you in that little town we have some of the best leadership. Our mayor and our department heads are very dedicated. Everything they do there is always for the improvement of the community.” Margaret recently held their Toys for Kids Drive for Christmas, held their first Living Nativity at no cost to the town and the community looks forward to becoming a city in 2011.

In her spare time, she works to do what she can to give back including working with Girl Scout Troop 1232 which she said she thoroughly enjoys. “I just love them,” she said. “I’m very proud of them.”

She also helped a friend to start a club called the Cake Walk. “My friend and I heard about a child one day who would not have a birthday cake for his special day,” she said. “We thought it was terrible and went in to get the child a cake and so far we have made 12 cakes since last June.

“It is just a way to help a child. I am a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother. It may be one of my children who needs help one day.”

Bonnie is married to Arlyn Voss. Arlyn is a reserve police officer and serves at the fire department in Margaret. He also spends his spare time giving back to the community. Bonnie said he is always active with Santa activities in the town and that is such a great sport. “The only time we have ever had trouble getting him to do something is when we put him in a six foot bunny suit,” she joked. “However, he always helps with children’s activities.”

Bonnie said her children are very important to her. “When it all over and done with that is all you have got,” she said. She has three daughters, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Her daughters are Tami Skilivas, Tina Poe and Amanda Johnston. Her grandchildren are Stephen, Jason, Kaliy and Breanna Batson, Brittany, Trinity and Kennedy Poe and Richard, Amaya and Malia Johnston.

When Bonnie is not spending time with her children she likes to cook and work in her many gardens. Her daughter, Tami, said she makes the best biscuits in the world and that she can stick her thumb in the dirt and something will grow.