John Pickens is our most dedicated volunteer at Bluffton Self Help. John has worn the red apron since 2017. Just two years later, he was named Volunteer of the Year, our most prestigious award. His commitment to serving this community cannot be questioned. Last year alone, John invested more than 600 hours of his time in the organization. That equates to a full-time, 40-hour-a-week position for nearly four months.
John serves weekly on Mondays from 8:30 am – 6:30 pm overseeing the warehouse and helping to distribute food on Monday afternoons. On Friday afternoons, he serves in The Resource Hub as a client intake and financial assistance volunteer. In between Monday and Friday, we will likely find him popping into BSH to change a light bulb, re-organize an area in our warehouse, take food to re-stock our little food house at The Learning & Literacy Center, or just to check in to see if he is needed. He has served as a GED tutor and a special event volunteer on more occasions than we can count. He has even been known to dress in costume for community Trunk or Treat events. During the holidays and throughout the year, we count on John to keep us organized in the warehouse so we can serve our neighbors most efficiently with limited space. And John does it all with a smile on his face. John is thorough, client-focused, goes above and beyond, and thinks outside of the box. His passion is contagious, and he truly embodies the spirit of community and neighborliness we strive for.
In the words of John Pickens, “What we do for the least of us, says what we are as a society and a culture”.
Thank you, John, for making Bluffton Self Help better, our community a better place, and all of us better people.
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