Blessing someone this Christmas

As some of you may know, part of my job with the NWS is that I manage the Cooperative Weather Observer Program. These folks are all volunteers that report weather data all across the United States. I have about 70 observers in my area of responsibility and the best part of my job is when I make my annual and sometimes semi-annual visits, because I get to talk with them.

One of my observers is a Vietnam Vet who lives in a trailer and doesn't have much outside of his VA benefits. Yet he does his civil service by providing us with weather data each morning promptly at 8 am, without fail! His name is Victor. The last time I was at his place was right before Thanksgiving. Victor is a talker. He's lonely. But he will talk your ear off. The guy has some stories, let me tell you. While I was there he received some food from a Catholic Charity in Tucson. 7 meals to be exact. 1 for each day. He said that is what he eats. I then began to ask him about his Thanksgiving, what his plans were. He said that one of his friends whose wife passed away this year invited him to Thanksgiving Dinner at the Truck Stop down on Interstate 10. So I was comforted by the fact that he would not be alone for Thanksgiving. The poor guy even lost his dog this year, so he's really alone.

So I got to thinking while I was driving back to the office. I thought to myself "How cool would that be if I organized a food drive for Victor?" So I organized my thoughts and then prepared a memo for the staff and sent it out. You should see all of the food and bags of groceries we have collected. I am driving it out to his place on the 16th and he has no idea we are doing this. All of the non-perishable stuff is here right now. I informed the staff that anyone who would like to donate some meat or anything perishable, to make sure they bring it the morning I load the truck up and I'll have a cooler filled with ice to pack it in.

Just another act of kindness that will bless someone that does not have much. I am taking our administrative assistant with me when I deliver the goods and we will take pictures.

Peace!