I spent my career as a UPS driver. When I retired, I still had a lot of energy and wanted to help people. I started volunteering with any nonprofit I could find. Then I met an elderly widow who couldn't leave her house and thought, ""This shouldn't be too hard."" Within 2 hours, some buddies and I built her a ramp, and she got her freedom and accessibility back.
That feeling of helping someone was contagious. I decided to build ramps for any veterans who needed them, and set a goal of building at least one in all 50 states. In the process, I got to meet 103 year old WWII veterans, hospice patients, people with ALS. The idea caught on and got me some attention, and people wanted to help out. Now I have NFL teams coming out to help me build. I reached my 50 state goal two years ago and thought, "Why stop there?" I no limit myself to veterans. I build ramps for kids with cancer, people who are paralyzed... people from every walk of life. I've built 330 so far and I've got a lot left in me.
The thing is, none of us is guaranteed to get to tomorrow. You have to give everything you got today, because you never know what the future will bring. My wife, who has helped me from the start, now has terminal cancer. I try to make her laugh every day. I'm won't stop building, even if I now have to balance my work with her treatment. When you're helping others, you're living your purpose. Is there anything more important than that?
That feeling of helping someone was contagious. I decided to build ramps for any veterans who needed them, and set a goal of building at least one in all 50 states. In the process, I got to meet 103 year old WWII veterans, hospice patients, people with ALS. The idea caught on and got me some attention, and people wanted to help out. Now I have NFL teams coming out to help me build. I reached my 50 state goal two years ago and thought, "Why stop there?" I no limit myself to veterans. I build ramps for kids with cancer, people who are paralyzed... people from every walk of life. I've built 330 so far and I've got a lot left in me.
The thing is, none of us is guaranteed to get to tomorrow. You have to give everything you got today, because you never know what the future will bring. My wife, who has helped me from the start, now has terminal cancer. I try to make her laugh every day. I'm won't stop building, even if I now have to balance my work with her treatment. When you're helping others, you're living your purpose. Is there anything more important than that?