Jake Pence may be the most improved Komet this season, which is somewhat appropriate considering how much time he spends trying to help others improve their lives.

The rookie ranks fourth among International Hockey League defensemen with a plus-18 plus-minus rating, and lately coach Al Sims has praised him for his consistency and overall play.

That consistency and determination are also things Pence uses during his free time as a volunteer at the Salvation Army's Community Youth Center, 2901 N. Clinton. His wife Hope just became the organization's director of youth ministries, but for several months the Pences have worked two or three times a week to help kids with their homework.

“It gives you an opportunity to be a role model,” Jake said. “When I was a kid, I always looked up to athletes. I want to make sure they have the right resume to look up to.”

The Pences also regularly give kids tickets to the games.

“The kids know he is a professional athlete, and they know he loves the Lord and treats his wife well,” Hope said.

“He's an amazing guy who's fun to play pool and ping pong with. He has so many dimensions that he's not only a hockey player.”

Salvation Army Social Service Director Tim Smith said, “I think that it's really neat to have a role model like that who is actually doing beneficial things in the community. It's exciting for them to see some guy who is helping them with their homework play out on the ice like that.”

The Pences started volunteering with Salvation Army in late November, helping sort a few nights a week on the Angel Tree program which provided clothing for more than 1,000 families. That brought back some memories for Hope.

“When I was growing up, we were pretty poor, and the first time we celebrated Christmas was when we were seven and my mom didn't have any money to buy gifts, so she went to the Salvation Army,” she said. “When we came here and wondered where we should volunteer, to me the immediate answer was Salvation Army.”

The Pences also rang the bell during the holiday season outside a local store.

“It's been a real blessing that they have so many opportunities where we can help out,” Jake said. “It's really important to us because we've always been blessed in our lives being able to live pretty well. To see kids that need help, it's just nice to give back.”

The Pences say they have always been involved in volunteer work in their hometown of Owatonna, Minn., and when Jake was playing juniors and college hockey in the Boston area. Jake said he really enjoyed working in a soup kitchen, but his passion is doing anything to work with kids.

“I don't usually like to throw it out there that I'm a Komet, but sometimes it helps open doors,” he said. “It gets us into a lot of opportunities that maybe we wouldn't have normally.”

The smiles on the children's faces show the obvious connections the Pences have made. They have become a regular part of the kids' lives.

“God has helped us out and he calls us to help out,” Hope said.

“God places people in our lives to bless us. I know I've had so many people who have helped me out when I didn't deserve it.

“You see that and realize that's what life is supposed to be about. It's just giving back and maybe showing a little bit of God to people who may not necessarily see it.”