In a typical year, about 800 Bay Aging volunteers deliver meals, friendship and safety checks to homebound seniors through our Meals on Wheels program or transportation for seniors or individuals with disabilities to medical appointments, work or other important events through our New Freedom Mobility Management program. Ken Rogers, the Director of Bay Aging’s Retired Senior Volunteer Program, manages this enormous volunteer network and spearheads volunteer recruitment efforts.
While it is impossible to adequately recognize all the wonderful volunteers who serve as the faces of Bay Aging’s Meals on Wheels and New Freedom Mobility Management programs, this and future Volunteer Spotlights will attempt to acknowledge some of them.
Today we want to recognize and remember Mr. Tommy Grimes who, sadly, passed away in July. Tommy was a dedicated Meals on Wheels volunteer who drove from Richmond to West Point every week to deliver meals to eight homebound seniors. Tommy loved the seniors to whom he delivered meals. He always spent time chatting with them and often gave them small gifts to brighten up their days. Tommy’s big heart and warm smile are already sorely missed.
Always quick to deflect credit, Tommy said that he got much more out of volunteering than he ever put into it. “Delivering meals is only a part of my experience. The wonderful people I deliver meals to give me more than I could ever give them,” Tommy said. After moving back to Virginia from Georgia, Tommy was looking for something to do during retirement. He had been active in Scouting and Junior Chamber International as a young man and volunteered as an adult through his church and children’s schools. “It’s more than I ever bargained for as far as fulfillment,” he noted.
