Within the same house on Jerome Avenue that Joe and Louise DiGiorgio first began formulating a plan for an ambulance corps, the couple is once again talking about the process that began over 25 years ago.

Although the first ambulance belonging to the Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps wasn't put on the road until 1979, the DiGiorgios say the corps was founded in 1977, making this year its 25th anniversary.

Louise opens the first scrapbook containing the memories of the difficulties in getting the corps into the village - the times she stood in front of the Village of Mineola Board of Trustees, a petition circulated around the village for residents in favor of an ambulance corps, the dealings with the county and the Mineola School Board. Within the scrapbook are the plans, drawn up by Joe, for the corps' first home - the basement of the Willis Avenue School, referred to by Louise as "the dungeon."

But the Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps (MVAC) is now more than a collection of artifacts and memories in the minds of those who assisted in its birth. It is community service and a valuable one at that, with a call volume of over 1,200 a year and a reputation for speed and dedication.

"There were just so many people," Louise said, referring to the numerous individuals who, in the late 70s made the birth of the corps possible.

Although the DiGiorgios recognize 1977 as the year the ambulance corps was founded, the seeds for the corps were planted earlier, in their minds, when they would see the Williston Park rescue squad on their own street. Then there was the time Joe needed an ambulance because of an illness.

Even though the DiGiorgios saw a need for an ambulance corps, the task was not easy. "They were against us," recalls Joe, referring to the village board. It took some convincing on the part of those dedicated to the cause to get the MVAC off the ground. Then the DiGiorgios ran into more trouble when they purchased their first ambulance - a beat-up vehicle from the county that needed some saving itself. Then there was the matter of securing a headquarters and building a garage.

The MVAC worked closely with young school board member Tom DiNapoli in securing a portion of the Willis Avenue School. Then the MVAC had to come up with a carport to house the ambulance. It's ironic that the Willis Avenue School is in the process of being torn down.

The MVAC moved into its current home in 1983 and all those associated with the corps over the years have seen its operation go forward. For Joe and Louise and all those along the way who helped become a part of the corps legacy, it was well worth hurdling all of the obstacles. Twenty-five years after Joe and Louise first began circulating their petitions to form an ambulance corps, it is a staple of Mineola and all of the dedicated volunteers embody what the corps was founded on - a "never say quit" mentality.

After all, as Louise said, "What the DiGiorgios start, the DiGiorgios finish."