June 8, 2023

It was not Jim Beyer who volunteered at Backpack Buddies originally, but Carole. When the weekend food program got started at Galilee in 2011, it was Carole Beyer who signed up to help. But when Carole, Jim’s wife of 53 years, passed away suddenly in 2015, Jim felt called to continue her work with this ministry. So he volunteered, too.

For the past eight years, Jim has been a delivery driver for Galilee’s student food program. “I’m just a small part of the operation,” Jim says, as he pops into the church office to pick up the key to the food pantry. While that might be true in one sense (Jim is only one of dozens of volunteers who work for the program), it’s so not true in another. 

Jim Beyer finds fulfillment in his role at Galilee

Jim’s impact as a volunteer is huge. This school year, Jim has been delivering 72 meals to Countryside Elementary students every Tuesday. In previous years, he’s delivered a similar number of weekend meals to students at Meadowland Elementary. That’s thousands of meals that Jim has delivered for food insecure children in Loudoun County. With Carole, Jim is responsible for many tens of thousands of nights that elementary students in our county were fed before they went to bed.

It’s an ordinary role in the volunteer set-up of our church. And it fulfills the extraordinary purpose of being a disciple who follows the path of Christ and shows the love that God has put on our hearts for “the least of us” in our community.

Volunteering is also something, Jim feels, that helps the volunteer. “I like to stay busy. Carole and I retired after rewarding careers,” he explains. “Carole was at the USDA and I worked in construction, mostly in large-scale government projects. After retirement, I sat around twiddling my thumbs for a little while but I knew I had to do something. As did Carole, who wore many hats at Galilee and who eventually got involved in Backpack Buddies. While she was doing that, I took on a part time job in the Loudoun County library system and did that for a number of years.”

“Then, of course, I took up Carole’s responsibilities for Backpack Buddies after she died. Carole’s passing hit me hard. It was not an easy time. But I’m blessed to have three grown children and four grandchildren in the area. I go to many sports events that the grandkids are involved in. That, and the church, have been stabilizing influences in my life, because I’m a creature of habit who likes a routine. I’ve recently moved to Ashby Ponds, which was Carole’s and my intention some time ago, and that has also been good. Pastor Jason invites all Ashby Pond’s residents to his Tuesday Bible class, but please tell him—I’ve been busy on Tuesdays!”

We treasure Jim and all our volunteers at Galilee. Volunteering is not always easy and it does come with hassles. Yet it is a path to fulfillment and a great way to find fellowship, help others, and stay in touch with the love that matters.