You could call Bill Brown an MVV—a most valuable volunteer.
Bill has been helping deliver meals for the Adult Resource Alliance of Yellowstone County’s Meals on Wheels program for more than 30 years.
“I deliver twice a week regular routes and then I volunteer for times when they need assistance,” Bill says.
Volunteers play an integral part in helping deliver almost 80,000 meals a year in the Billings area.
“They are the biggest part of our program. I get calls and letters, and they always mention the volunteers. They are the ones that have the close relationships with our participants, and I don’t know what we would do without them,” says Jaime Carpenter, the Meals on Wheels coordinator.
On this day, Bill is making about 20 stops—delivering a good meal and also taking a couple of minutes to chat with those on his route.
“It’s socialization for each participate that wants that and needs the extra attention,” Carpenter says.
The Meals on Wheels program is just one of the ways that the Adult Resource Alliance helps seniors stay independent.
“I think it is just rewarding the fact that I’m helping somebody stay in their own residence. A lot of the times so they don’t have to go to senior living, and I enjoy the people I have contact with,” Brown says.
Bill also volunteers by doing grocery shopping for homebound seniors and drives them to appointments.
And when he’s not helping at the Adult Resource Alliance, you can also find him volunteering at the Alberta Bair Theater and at his church, where he serves as eucharistic minister.
It’s just a few of the ways that this Super Senior is making a difference.
“if I had about a thousand more Bill Browns—Billings, Montana, would be well taken care of,” laughs Carpenter.
“I just get the reward of the feeling that I’m helping the community and I’m doing something that keeps me busy,” Brown says.
Click here to nominate someone for Q2’s Super Senior segment.
