Retired Bristol Volunteers Receive Awards

BRISTOL, Va. – At first, Jim Lowe claimed to be “39 years old and holding” but he eventually admitted he’s a 69-year-old retired factory worker, one of several “old folks” honored Tuesday for donating hundreds of hours – for free – to community organizations. 

He wears a button on his shirt pocket that reads “retired, but not tired” and declines to put his name in the hat for a door prize because, he said, he wanted to give somebody else a chance to win. He’d already received two tickets to the Paramount Theater for volunteering more than 900 hours, more than anyone else this year.

About half of those are with his church’s food pantry: “They threatened to put me a bed down at the church,” he said.

The other half are with a Boy Scout troop he leads: “My wife says I have more fun than the boys do.”

Lowe and about 80 others gathered Wednesday for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program’s annual luncheon, intended to thank the area’s 135 active senior volunteers who devote their time to agencies and nonprofits such as the Healing Hands Health Center, Bristol Regional Medical Center, Virginia Avenue Food Panty, Senior Show Choir and Bristol Nursing Home.

“We’re one of the best kept secrets in Bristol,” said Barbara Fiala, the former volunteer coordinator. “They love it, they feel like they’re giving back to the community. We’re all old, so we like to take care of other old people.”

They dined Tuesday on roast beef and cheesecake and tiny cartons of milk, as they humbly accepted their much-deserved thanks.

The volunteers do everything from play bingo to pick up groceries for 35 home-bound people each week. Their average age is mid-70s, said the volunteer coordinator Julie Drake. Their oldest member is Lucile McHenry, who at 94 still faithfully works at a food pantry each week.

Margaret Roberson, director of the district cooperative, an off-shoot of a nationwide program, said they provide Southwest Virginia and both Bristols with 463 volunteers on an annual budget of just around $112,000.

“It’s just as important to the volunteers as it is to the agencies they serve,” Roberson said. “We provide a lot of services the agencies wouldn’t otherwise be able to provide.” 

Winifred Campbell, 86, of Blountville, was honored Wednesday for the longest-running tenure with the group; she has been a member since its inception in 1985. Campbell works in the hospital gift shop, and has for 35 years. She said it makes her feel good to hear everybody’s problems and complaints.

A native of England, Campbell also works at the Paramount Theater, her church, Healing Hands and the senior choir.

“Oh, I can’t sing,” she said, laughing. “But you have to stay busy to stay young.”

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