Volunteer of the Month - Tony D.

We are excited to introduce Tony D., our Volunteer of the Month!

Tony has volunteered with Cultivate for the past twelve years. He started as a Fix-It volunteer but switched to Carry-Out Caravan in 2017. We are fortunate that he is so willing to wear many different hats for Cultivate. He currently volunteers as a shopper, grocery delivery driver, and a substitute order-taker. Our clients enjoy it when he delivers or takes their orders because of his fun personality, booming voice, and knowledge about products. Since Tony is also a shopper, he knows the helpful questions to ask when they call to place their orders – thus ensuring we have enough information to choose the correct items at the store! His regular clients appreciate his care and concern for them since he has been delivering to them for many years!

Tony grew up in Valley Forge, PA, with his two siblings. The community was diverse and multi-ethnic with his parents being first-generation Italian-Americans. He grew up having more relatives in Italy than the United States, since only a few family members had come to the U.S from Italy. His grandparents did not speak much English, and his father's early life was hard but he persevered, worked his way through school, became a dentist and set up his practice in the front of their home. His mother was the dental assistant and ran the household, as well. Never forgetting his “roots,” his father was hard-working and accomplished, doing so much in the community for those less fortunate. It’s clear his father’s compassion and kindness was passed on to Tony!

Tony is the only member of his family who left the Philadelphia area to further his education. His higher education includes a B.S. in Chemistry from Drexel University, an M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Arizona in Tucson and an M.S. in Computer Science from CU Boulder. Before retiring, Tony had an accomplished career working as a DNA automated chemist and database manager for Ribozyme Pharmaceutical Inc., Amgen, Agilent Technologies, and the University of Colorado.

Tony is a true Italian family man. His proudest moments include becoming father to two amazing sons, as well as acquiring two wonderful stepdaughters and six grandchildren.

Tony recruited his lovely wife, Debbie, to help Carry-Out Caravan as a delivery driver during the height of the pandemic when our client base rapidly tripled. Tony loves living out west after growing up in the east. Two of his favorite hobbies are biking and attending live music concerts. Tony also enjoys traveling and hopes to one day visit the country of Bhutan, which has recently relaxed many of its tourism restrictions. He says Bhutan is called the “kingdom of happiness” and it even has a Minister of Happiness cabinet-level position in the government! Tony raves that the pictures he has seen are spectacular.

Ardent about the environment, Tony believes that educating others about the importance of protecting our planet is crucial for the future of our world and is inspired by people who dedicate their lives to making the world a better place, whether through environmental conservation, social justice, or humanitarian efforts. Their commitment and selflessness reminds him of the power of individual action. His advice to others is to embrace change and be open to learning new things – to find areas that you are passionate about and make your voice heard.

Giving back to the community is important to Tony, as well, and is the main reason he started volunteering for Cultivate after he retired. He believes that it’s a way to make a positive impact and to help others. Tony especially enjoys delivering the groceries because witnessing the appreciation on the faces of our clients provides a sense of fulfillment and purpose, knowing that he is contributing to something greater than himself. In addition, he says it has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and that he has met so many wonderful people along the way.

Thank you, Tony, for being such a caring, dedicated, and reliable volunteer for Cultivate for so many years! We are so lucky that you have been a regular shopper and driver for so many years and have been willing to also help with taking orders and that your wife helped with substitute driving in the past! Most of all, thank you for making such a difference and connection with the clients you have contact with! That is a true gift!