Client Cameo: Jerry G.

We are excited to introduce our newest Client Cameo, Jerry G.  who has been a Cultivate client for the past four years using both Fix-It and Carry-Out Caravan.

Jerry was born and raised in Boulder, Colorado and his father ran a barber shop that was on The Hill next to The Sink and his mother was a nurse at Boulder Community Hospital.  Their home was at the foot of Flagstaff mountain.  With Flagstaff being in his backyard, it is no surprise that Jerry grew up with a sense of adventure for nature and a love of the great outdoors.  He would often sleep outside as a child, until he had a close encounter with some kind of small wildlife animal that crawled into his sleeping bag with him.  Even though it didn't stay long, it spooked Jerry enough to stop sleeping out in the open under the stars.  Jerry recalls that once while hiking the Flatirons he lost track of time and wasn't able to safely descend before dark so he had no choice but to sleep overnight between the two Flatirons.  He said it was so windy and cold up there, he had to wait until the sun warmed him up enough to hike down safely.

Jerry's curiosity and sense of adventure drew him to the Pacific Northwest.  In the '70's the popular TV show Bigfoot and Wildboy inspired him to pack up and move there to search for the elusive creature, along with the opportunity to explore new terrain.  He worked at the (now) historic Salishan Coastal Lodge in Gleneden Beach on the Oregon Coast for many years.  It was there that he met his wife and raised their family.

As an unexpected young widower, Jerry left Oregon heartbroken and drove to Arizona to try to find solace.  He was hired on the spot as the Assistant manager of Arizona State Park.  That position was one of many in Jerry's long career working for National Parks.  He has worked in management and hospitality for Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Scotty's Castle in Death Valley, Rocky Mountain Park and many more.

Living in all those beautiful parks, Jerry relished in hiking and exploring the new landscapes and became an outstanding photographer along the way.  He has spectacular collections of photos of the picturesque nature scenery and wildlife. Jerry claims he has a special connection with animals and has encountered seeing all the expected wildlife that habitats in the National Parks without incident! 

One of the favorite parks Jerry worked at was the Monument Valley Navajo National Park which spans across Arizona and Utah.  While working there Jerry got very acquainted with the native Navajos that lived there.  He was able to learn a lot from them and their culture and even had the honor to be taken to a remote ruin of theirs that at that point, had never been visited by a white man.  Jerry also has a special connection with humans  and is able to make friends wherever he goes!

Now that Jerry is retired, he still enjoys photography and is an excellent cook.  He enjoys cooking and will often share his meals with his neighbors.  He is well known and loved in his living Community not only for his cooking, but for his positive attitude and  friendliness.  

Jerry is a wonderful regular client for Carry-Out Caravan and orders almost weekly!  He is a wonderful advocate for Cultivate and has told other residents how much he enjoys calling his order in and talking to our volunteers that take his order.  He says that they are so kind and caring that it's "like talking to your mother."  He also is grateful for the service because it is so easy to use and less of a hassle then trying to take the shuttle to the store and having to carry all the groceries in on his own.  We are so lucky to have such a loyal and regular client like Jerry who we get to know.  His upbeat and easy going personality makes taking his orders and shopping fun!  After all his years of serving and managing others, it is our honor to serve Jerry.