Joe and Velma have lived in West Liberty for 43 years after growing up in Rochester, Iowa and West Branch, Iowa. They first moved to West Liberty in 1959 to be closer to Joe's job at the quarry. They immediately liked the community and have lived here ever since. Joe and Velma have four children, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren (not to mention their five stray cats). It's a running joke that while Joe and Velma still had a teenager at home, they became great-grandparents! Besides working at the quarry, Joe served as the West Liberty Public Works Director. Joe and Velma also had their own business for 5 years. In their spare time, Velma enjoys gardening and Joe enjoys "playing in his sandbox," which is actually helping with the ground work for a new subdivision in West Liberty. Joe is also on the School Board.
Joe and Velma first started volunteering with RSVP when the new West Liberty RSVP RIDE program began in August, 2002. Joe was one of the first people to sign up to be a volunteer driver for RSVP RIDE. Velma soon followed by volunteering to coordinate the entire schedule of rides! Joe and Velma understand that transportation can be a great need for many elderly community members in West Liberty. Besides having an opportunity to serve their community through the program, they also enjoy meeting new community members and getting to know others better. Joe and Velma have been a great asset to the RSVP RIDE program- they are definitely top-notch volunteers! RSVP is grateful for all of their hard work. |
