Page 27 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Summer 2020- Online Magazine

greets everyone who walks into the office or calls on the During one three-year period, RSVP had a grant to
phone with a smile, (I promise, one can see it through the visit new moms in the hospitals and enroll them in a
phone!), and she knows just the right questions to ask program for childhood immunizations. Gloria dealt
to get a conversation started. She listens. She engages. directly with all the volunteers, coordinating their
She makes a special effort to draw out those who are a efforts to put packets together and deliver them to each
bit standoffish and finds a way to develop a friendship. new mom. Consistently through the years, Gloria has
Admittedly, she has “never met a stranger”. So, it’s not given herself to the volunteers. “I like everything I do,”
surprising that Gloria has developed close relationships she emphasized. I followed that statement up with a
with volunteers through the years. She has been the question about her current working conditions. “It’s
face of RSVP to many and has welcomed them into an been hard,” she shared of working from home. “I miss
organization of volunteers by learning of their talents the busyness of the office. I miss the volunteers. But
and aspirations and encouraging them to discover even I’m keeping in contact with the volunteers. One of my
more about themselves through volunteering. Her jobs has been to call all 700 of our volunteers and check
desire to make friends and develop close relationships on them. I’m about halfway through the list because I
does have a bit of a downside. As she primarily works love to talk! I want to really find out how each of them is
with men and women who are 55 and older, Gloria has doing. I want them to know we really care about them.”
had to say good-bye to many of her friends through the
years, and that has left her with holes in her heart. Even during this time of working from home and social
distancing, Gloria continues to be intentional about
During her 23-year tenure with RSVP, Gloria has seen showing care and concern for all of her “friends.”
changes in the organization. She remembers the first She is obviously flourishing. I asked if she had ever
office in a house at Adams and 7th. “That building experienced anything during her life that she believed
housed our offices, and it also had a kitchen. We had prepared her for the upheaval we’ve experienced the last
a volunteer who cooked almost every day, feeding few months. “Oh,” she says, “I’ve never seen anything
the volunteers who worked there.” Back in those like this. But, I’m very strong-willed. Because of that
days, RSVP handled much of the bulk mail service for and my tenacity for life, I don’t let things get the best
businesses in Amarillo, often preparing up to 6,000-piece of me. I shrug my shoulders, tighten my belt and go
mailings. “There were always volunteers in the office,” on. As always, though, I stay busy. I can’t sit still, so
Gloria added. “Our volunteers have always been I always have a project to work on. And my children,
generous with their time and very loving – always happy grandchildren, nieces and nephews help, too. They call
to be at the office or any of our volunteer stations.” to check on me and encourage me to stay safe.”

As Gloria shared some of her
secrets and wisdom, I realized that
she has lived out those words of
wisdom for most of her life. She
married the love of her life, her
soul mate, and thought they would
“ride off into the sunset together,”
but that was not to be, and she
has lived as a widow for many
years. Again, she made the best
of the situation and sought out a
job with RSVP. Gloria has made it
more than a job. She has made it
her life’s mission – to seek out and
befriend all who come her way.

Amarillo Senior Link 27