Shining in our August Spotlight…Ralph Dell!
Ralph Dell is one of our volunteers who helps to add a lot of fun to our work environment. Ralph started volunteering about 7 years ago. He had retired and was looking for a way to donate his time back to the community, and luckily for us, he found our ministry. Ralph found a place where he could do meaningful work and be around people who he enjoyed working and joking around with.
Ralph comes in twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays. Currently he drives the grocery van and picks up at the Hickory Target. He also fills in many times when some of our other drivers can’t make it. Ralph also likes to sort produce and is very keen on keeping our meat freezer organized. When Ralph first came to us, our freezer wasn’t as streamlined as he thought it could be. Ralph worked to make sure that all of our meat boxes were filled up fully so that they could be stacked properly and dated so that they could be rotated accordingly. Ralph worked for a while to create this new standard for us, and it has paid many dividends over the years.
Ralph also happened to capture an amazing moment for us. One morning, we came in to find a pair of young raccoons in our dumpster. It took us a while to figure out how to get them out. We stuck a ladder in through the door and left them alone. Eventually, the raccoons figured out how to escape. Luckily, Ralph saw one crawling out and grabbed a picture of the escape in progress!
While Ralph always likes to joke around (especially about getting a Christmas bonus), he takes his volunteer work at Ashure Ministry very seriously. He is committed to our ministry's mission and is proud to be part of a group of people who all share the desire to help their less fortunate neighbors. Ralph also feels blessed to work at a place that gives him the freedom to do what he feels needs to be done. He doesn’t have to ask what to do or wait around to be told. Ralph comes in knowing exactly what needs to be done and gets right to work. Ralph really is a pleasure to work with, no matter what he might tell you! Thank you, Ralph, for all you do for Ashure Ministry and the community we serve! Your sense of humor is certainly your bonus gift to us!