Volunteer of the Month - June 2019

We have an amazing community of volunteers who faithfully and generously give their time and energy to serve seniors throughout Boulder County. In an effort to recognize their work, and so that our entire community can get to know our volunteers, we started our Volunteer of the Month award program.

We are excited to introduce you to Don King and his friend Coleton, our June 2019 Volunteers of the Month. Don and Coleton volunteer their weed-fighting skills with our YardBusters program to clear plant debris from seniors’ yards, which helps our senior neighbors stay safe outside their homes and avoid fines from their city. 

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Where did you grow up? 

Coleton: Colorado Springs. 

Don: I grew up in Concord, Massachusetts.

How long have you guys known each other? 

Don: 15 months, maybe. March or April of last year. 

How did you guys meet each other? 

Don: Through the organization Fathers in the Field. They try to team up mentor dads with kids who don’t have a dad in their home. There’s 13 million boys in America who don’t have dads in their home. So a group of guys at Flatirons Church decided they wanted to help. We joined up with Fathers in the Field. They’re out of the midwest but they’re all over the country now. They pair you up based on proximity. You have to get trained and get vetted. 

What do you want to be when you grow up? 

Coleton: An astronomer. I really like space. I think it’s cool. 

Don: I changed careers 3 years ago. I’m a health coach now. Health coaching is something that’s very rewarding for me. I was in the Aerospace and military business for 35 years before this. 

What was your first job? 

Don: My very first job was selling Christmas cards door-to-door. I worked for my dad. My dad was a door-to-door salesman. He would sell brushes, mops and things. I would go on deliveries with him on Saturdays. I helped him put all the orders together the night before, pack them all in the car and go door to door to door. And he would pay me a couple dollars. But I don’t consider that my first job. My first job was me going door-to-door selling Christmas cards or spring seeds for vegetables on my own. Then I had a paper route. So my first job was probably at 8 years old. 

What has been one of your proudest moments?

Coleton: Probably when I was on the swimming team. There was a big race and there was this four-lap race where you have to do breaststroke, freestyle and two others. I didn’t really want to do it. And then I went and did it and I felt proud of that. 

Don: That’s a toughie. I have a lot of them. I have had proud moments in my business. I’ve had proud moments with my kids, but that was really for them and not for me. A big deal for me was running my first marathon. Because I never thought I would ever, ever do that. You know, I smoked for 14 years and I never wanted to run. I never wanted to be a runner. Growing up in Boston there’s the Boston marathon as a great tradition. But I always thought I could never do that. When I was 45 years old I ran my first marathon. It was awesome. 

What has been one of your greatest challenges?

Coleton: Picking up dog poop. 

Don: Oh, that was a tough day. This one lady, we worked at her house, and the grass was really long. She had these two huge bloodhounds. And nobody had picked up after them for awhile. But I think my greatest challenge is to be the husband that I want to be to my wife. 

What are you most passionate about?

Coleton: Soccer. I play for the YMCA. Sometimes I play offense. I’m good at getting the ball up front. Then I play defense when I get tired. 

Don: I always felt like my calling was to be a facilitator. So my passion when I had my kids was to make sure they were successful. My job is to facilitate their success so they’re healthy, thriving adults. They have a good sense of who they are. And I still feel like, as a health coach, I can do that even more. If I can help it, I don’t give people advice. Most people know what they need to do to be healthy. They’re just stuck. So my job is to help them get unstuck. I’m a facilitator. So if I can help somebody be successful, to me, that’s what I’m passionate about. That’s what I love.

What are some of your hobbies? 

Don: I’m a runner. I also play bass guitar in a rock band. I did it for 25 years in Boston. I also played in a contemporary christian band with my church for the same amount of time. I love to read. I like going fishing. We’ve started shooting some archery, so that’s been pretty fun.

Coleton: I like archery, like Don said. 

Don: That’s kind of new. It’s new for me, too. So we’re learning together. 

What would your perfect day look like? 

Coleton: Playing with my friends. That’s one thing I like to do. 

Don: I guess it depends on the day. About three years ago, my wife and I flew all our kids up to Maine and we rented a house for all of us on a lake. Taking my grandkids fishing, having a bit of free time, being able to read, being around the kids—that was pretty great. My perfect day would be a shorter commute, but I like what I’m doing so I wouldn’t change it. 

What is one item on your bucket list?

Don (to Coleton): You’ve got to have a bunch of those at your age. 

Coleton: I mean, I think about all kinds of things all the time. 

Don: Do you want to go into space? 

Coleton: I think going into space would be cool but I’m kind of scared of it. 

Don: I want to go to Spain. I’ve never been to Spain. I just have to convince my wife to go. 

Who or what inspires you? 

Coleton: My mom. 

Don: Good answer. I’m inspired by my faith and some of the things Coleton and I do together. I’m inspired by my wife who is artistic and very creative. She keeps me grounded. She’s very kind. My kids inspire me. My grandkids inspire me. 

Why do you volunteer? 

Coleton: To help people. 

Don: I think we volunteer because it shows God’s love in a tangible way to someone else. God has been good to us so we give a little bit of that away. 

Who is a senior who has made an impact in your life and did they teach you any lessons? 

Don: I was in Mexico about 15 years ago. We were putting a roof on a church. It was 114 degrees on the roof, 110 in the shade. The guy we’re building the church for, who’s 65 years old. He’d only been a pastor for a few years and was a retired mariachi musician. Just getting started. And I thought, this is the most inspirational guy I’ve ever met. His energy was awesome. He could keep up with us all day. He was incredibly inspiring.