“How much volunteering is too much?” Rebecca and Bill Byrd have immersed themselves in various volunteering opportunities for most of their lives and enjoy it all!
Rebecca and Bill are multi-faceted volunteers. Together, they drive a route and have enjoyed being drivers for about eight years. Rebecca has also worked at the front reception desk and the takeaway lunch program during COVID times. She has delighted in learning how all the parts come together to make the Center a welcoming and friendly place to be.
Bill also volunteers as a Board member for the Senior Men’s Golf Club at Pacific Grove Golf Links. Once a month, he calculates the results and awards for their tournaments. Golf is Bill’s second love, so this is enjoyable for him. Since Bill started playing golf in his teens, he still appreciates playing each week.
Both Rebecca and Bill are also part of VITA – Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. Many of our members and the community have taken part in the program at the MOW Community Center.
This volunteerism has been going on for seven years and includes IRS training organized through the Alliance on Aging. Bill completes approximately 100 tax returns per season and has enjoyed keeping up with the new tax codes!
Rebecca does the intake for incoming clients, which is a huge help to all the tax preparers. Both Rebecca and Bill enjoy meeting people and helping clients be stress-free during tax season.
Their motivation as drivers has been the smiles that greet them when they come to the door. Their clients take the opportunity to share stories about themselves and what’s current in their lives. The clients are so appreciative of the service and thank them for their time and energy. Once when delivering a meal, they entered the unlocked door to find the client still in bed, feeling unstable, not well, and unable to get up. The client asked them to call her son which was a huge help to her. If they hadn’t come, her son would not have visited until that night.
Rebecca and Bill sincerely encourage anyone who can volunteer to deliver meals or engage in other opportunities at the Center. Not only is it a big reward for a small amount of time invested, but it is also a face-to-face experience where the effects of your work are immediate and very heart-warming.
We at Meals on Wheels Monterey Peninsula are very pleased that Rebecca and Bill relocated and fell in love with this beautiful area and its welcoming community. For all those individuals who benefit from their volunteering efforts, we say Thank You!
