Walker and Lee served in the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan in Central Asia in 2004 and part of 2005, but were pulled out early due to civil unrest. They were stationed in different parts of the country - she teaching English at an elementary school and he working with a nonprofit health organization. "That's kind of the ultimate volunteering experience," Walker said. "You live it every day, 24/7." And when they got back early, they were itching to keep busy. Walker said Lee's first idea was working with the American Red Cross, where they applied and became Disaster Services Human Resources volunteers. They had only volunteered for a month when they were sent to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. Lee said they've been on other national disaster assignments together and solo, helping with flooding, with cleanup of tornadoes in Cocoa Beach, Fla., and in fall 2008 setting up shelters outside New Orleans for Hurricane Gustav. The duo also teaches disaster classes locally and statewide for the Red Cross.
Uzbekistan RPCVs Ann Walker and Bob Lee have served as volunteers all over the world
Fenton Township couple makes volunteering their retirement goal
By Melissa Burden | Flint Journal
March 12, 2010, 7:19AM
Caption: Ann Walker, 68, and Bob Lee, 71, of Fenton Township are shown in October of 2009 wearing Cameroon clothing given to them as a gift at the completion of their volunteer stay in Cameroon.
FENTON TWP. -
Bob Lee and Ann Walker may just be the ideal examples of volunteering in retirement.
The Fenton Township couple met in the Peace Corps, have gone on two volunteer missions to Africa and locally are on call to assist fire victims and counsel people about Medicare and Medicaid choices.
And that's just the start.
They're hoping by telling their stories that more retirees will get off the couch and spring into action helping others.
"There are so many volunteer opportunities out there," said Walker, 68, a retired principal and director of instruction.
"I highly recommend people who are unhappy in retirement, they need to take a step into the world," she added.
Lee, 71, a retired Penn State University professor, will leave at the end of June for Haiti for a six-week stay to do "whatever they need" after January's massive earthquake. Lee is traveling with Hands On Disaster Response, a nonprofit that provides assistance to survivors of natural disasters across the world. He will be stationed in a city 18 miles west of Port-au-Prince.
"Eighty to 90 percent of the buildings are destroyed there," Lee said. "It'll be the toughest situation I've been in because there's not going to be any running water. We'll be in tents."
Walker and Lee served in the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan in Central Asia in 2004 and part of 2005, but were pulled out early due to civil unrest. They were stationed in different parts of the country - she teaching English at an elementary school and he working with a nonprofit health organization.
"That's kind of the ultimate volunteering experience," Walker said. "You live it every day, 24/7."
And when they got back early, they were itching to keep busy.
Walker said Lee's first idea was working with the American Red Cross, where they applied and became Disaster Services Human Resources volunteers. They had only volunteered for a month when they were sent to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana.
Lee said they've been on other national disaster assignments together and solo, helping with flooding, with cleanup of tornadoes in Cocoa Beach, Fla., and in fall 2008 setting up shelters outside New Orleans for Hurricane Gustav.
The duo also teaches disaster classes locally and statewide for the Red Cross.
Janet Hamm, director of emergency services for the American Red Cross Genesee-Lapeer Chapter, said Lee and Walker are some of the most willing volunteers in the chapter.
"The time that they give is what's unique because it's quality time," Hamm said. "They put everything they have into it. They're not doing it for recognition, they're doing it because it needs to be done."
Every 10 weeks or so, Lee and Walker are on call 12 hours a day for a week as part of the local Red Cross Disaster Action Team, assisting people after fires.
"We make sure they have shelter, clothing and food for the first night," Walker said.
Lee also volunteers on Fridays at Carriage Town Ministries in Flint, serving breakfast to those who stay in the shelter and working in its clothing department, and volunteers for the Genesee County Literacy Council, helping to tutor adults in reading.
Both Lee and Walker said they enjoy the long-term volunteer missions, where they've made many long-lasting friendships across the globe.
In 2008, the couple spent five weeks in Tanzania working at an orphanage and teaching preschoolers through a group called International Volunteer HQ and last year went to Cameroon, West Africa, with Encore! Service Corps International, a nonprofit that recruits former Peace Corps volunteers and staff members for short-term assignments.
Lee was stationed in Cameroon for six months and worked with the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Board as a grants management and organizational development volunteer. Walker joined him for the last two months there, helping with a human resources database.
How do they do it all?
"I use the phrase, ‘I'm not ready for a rocking chair,'" Lee said.
