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Our People, Our Peninsula: ‘We should all give back to the community’

Bob Storey has been a volunteer with Meals on Wheels for nearly 4 decades
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Bob Storey says volunteering with Meals on Wheels helped him overcome his shyness. (Contributed photo)

Volunteers are the backbone of a community. In the May 19 edition of the Peace Arch News, we published our second annual Our People, Our Peninsula section, in which we profiled 11 individuals whose volunteer efforts help shape White Rock-South Surrey into the strong and vibrant community we call home. Below is the profile of one such volunteer.

Bob Storey, who is in his 90s, has been with Meals on Wheels since 1985, driving on Mondays.

His Meals on Wheels colleagues describe Bob as “a very kind and thoughtful man and very caring of the clients he serves.”

He also served as treasurer for many years, but that did not provide the pure satisfaction that delivering the meals does.

Q: How long have you been a volunteer with Meals on Wheels and in what capacity?

I have been a volunteer with Meals on Wheels since 1985 and I was asked by my neighbour if I would like to volunteer. I also volunteer many hours to the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway at Cloverdale on restoration of former B.C. Electric Interurban cars.

I am a passenger attendant when we run on weekends to Sullivan Station.

Q: How has volunteering with Meals on Wheels benefited you as a person?

I was always rather shy, but volunteering has broadened my horizons socially and I have lost my shyness.

Q: Why is it important to you to volunteer your time?

We should all give back to our community, by volunteering – each in our own way.

Most groups never have enough volunteers.

Q: What advice do you have for people who are thinking about becoming a volunteer for the first time?

If someone asks you to volunteer, give it a try.

In time, you will enjoy helping others.