At Kane Senior Council, our volunteers are the heart of our organization. They carry out our mission in the community and show tremendous care for the seniors they serve. We love to highlight our volunteers year-round, but especially during Volunteer Appreciation Month.

This month, we want to highlight longtime KSC Volunteer, Greg Lind, who has been delivering meals to seniors in Kane County for almost ten years. We had the opportunity to sit down with Greg to discuss his time volunteering and what being a volunteer means to him.

Delivering More Than Just a Meal

After working for almost 40 years at Hewlett-Packard, Greg Lind retired at age 65. After enjoying retired life at home for a bit, his wife suggested, “You’ve got to get out of the house more.” So, Greg thought of the key motto: “Happy wife, happy life” and decided to go out and find a way to spend his time. Greg came across a Meals on Wheels volunteer while spending time with other retired friends, as one of his peers had been volunteering his time delivering meals. After talking more about the opportunity, he offered to take Greg with him to deliver meals that day. When seeing the impact of delivering meals, Greg thought, “This is really helpful to the people receiving – and probably feels good to the person delivering too.” So Greg started delivering Meals on Wheels in Kane County – at the time through the Salvation Army Golden Diners. Soon he also worked as a site manager in Aurora, Geneva, and Elgin. When Kane Senior Council took over Meals on Wheels operations in Kane County, Greg continued as a loyal and dedicated meal delivery driver with KSC.

When asked about what his favorite part of volunteering is, Greg responds immediately that it’s the people – it’s interacting with other volunteers, staff, and especially the seniors he delivers to. “Sometimes they’ll answer the door and not be looking as happy as they could be,” he says. “By the time you leave, they’re smiling. And you’ve brightened their day. And your day too.”

While speaking to Greg about his experiences, it’s clear that he recognizes the impact volunteering has on the seniors receiving meals, and also how much he gets out of the opportunity himself. “Those folks enjoy the visit just as much if not more so than me delivering the nutrition they need. And I like getting to see them, getting to know them, and helping them.” Greg said his wife would even accompany him on his routes, and the seniors would get to know her as well. “They all seem to enjoy the fact that somebody comes to see them.” Just having someone to connect with every day is enough to lift their spirits, and Greg makes a point to engage with the seniors and brighten their day.

Greg has developed a solid idea of what volunteering means to be a volunteer and, more importantly, what it means to him. Greg tells stories about his time volunteering with great fondness and pride. “I’ve always been somebody that helps people,” he says. “Some people need more help than others, but they’re all in need of nutrition.” Whether the task is as big as walking up the stairs to deliver food in a multi-level building without a working elevator, or simply changing a lightbulb, Greg is up to the task of making sure seniors receive the help they need.

Hear More

Greg joined the board at AgeGuide, representing Kane County to help recognize how to best assist people while they age. Greg was featured on AgeGuide’s podcast, The Age Guide: Perspectives on the Aging Journey, where he shared more of his experience as a Meals on Wheels volunteer.

You can listen to Greg’s episode here:

https://ageguide.org/the-age-guide-podcast/

Volunteer Appreciation

To anyone who might be on the fence about becoming a Meals on Wheels volunteer, Greg says “Don’t be afraid to try it. I think you would enjoy doing it as much as I do. And you will feel good about yourself while doing it. But you won’t know that unless you try it out.”

If you or someone you know would like to become a volunteer like Greg, click here.

We want to give a big thank you to Greg for speaking to us and for being such a dedicated volunteer who represents our mission of helping seniors live independently.

Happy Volunteer Appreciation Month!