The Hoosier Welshman! If you’ve ever volunteered on a Tuesday, chances are you’ve had the pleasure of conversing with Stephen about one interesting thing or another. He’s quite the character and this Carol Adams Award winner has dedicated over 1,030 hours of his time since 2013 to spreading the mission of Second Helpings.
Stephen was born and raised in South Wales. He lived and worked in London for 10 years before he and his family moved to the US in 2002. He says (sarcasm warning), “Most people aren’t aware of this due to my strong Hoosier accent!” His introduction to Second Helpings came by way of our annual Corks & Forks fundraiser at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. He heard about the event and decided to see what all the fuss is about. Each week, he dedicates his entire Tuesday to driving around town in a Second Helpings van and delivering hundreds of meals to our many partner agencies. While Tuesdays are his day of choice, don’t be surprised if you see him on a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. Yes, that means he will pinch hit on any day of the week! You all know how incredibly valuable that can be. Oh, and did I mention that he also volunteers at special events?!
When he’s not volunteering, he’s an engineer by profession who is working towards early retirement. He is well on his way since he and his family will sadly be moving to California towards the end of the summer. What does he enjoy most about volunteering at Second Helpings? “It’s the people really,” he says. “I’m just happy to be able to help out occasionally in a very meaningful mission.” In addition to the Second Helpings volunteer family, Stephen also volunteers with our Indy Hunger Network partners at Gleaners Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity.
Stephen, while your Hoosier accent may still need some tweaking, your Hoosier hospitality is on point! You are one remarkable man who has dedicated an incredible amount of your time and talent to carrying out the mission of Second Helpings. While we are deeply saddened to lose you, we wish you and your family all the best in sunny California!