Prolific volunteer always happy to lend a helping hand

March 25--WALLA WALLA -- Terry McCoy has always directed his energy at aiding people who need help. His varied life experience bears this out, including stints as FEMA volunteer, children's advocate and ombudsman for seniors.

Recently, McCoy was elected treasurer of the Center at the Park, Walla Walla's senior center. He was also reappointed to a two-year term on the Southeast Washington Aging and Long Term Care Advisory Council.

Southeast Washington Aging and Long-term Care Advisory Council

› 125 E. Cherry St., Ste. A

› 529-6470

The Center at the Park

› 720 Sprague St.

› 527-3775

His focus on senior services was just a natural process, McCoy said.

"Maybe it was because I became a senior," he said.

Another contributing factor was his appreciation of volunteers. He raised his two daughters as a single father in Waitsburg, and credits much of the quality of life in that town to its generous volunteers. Police, firefighters, those in senior services and others contribute a great deal to Waitsburg and other small communities, he said.

He gravitated toward helping seniors because that's where he sees a growing need, an increasing population in a deteriorating economic environment.

"It's a facet of society that is underserved," he said.

McCoy's career path has led him in many directions, giving him a wealth of experience and education about the world and the people in it.

His original plan was to become an agricultural journalist. One of his first interviews was with a man who had worked for the same company for 32 years. McCoy knew then and there he wouldn't follow a similar career path, staying for years with one job. So he moved around and held a variety of jobs.

Over the years he worked for nine different newspapers, then as a flag man and as a police officer. In October 1979, he was hired at the Washington State Penitentiary, which brought him and his daughters to the area. He also worked as a cook, and at one time managed The Steak Out Restaurant on Wellington Avenue. This diverse career background gave him a perspective on things he wouldn't have obtained otherwise, he said.

"I was dragging a couple of daughters around with me and it didn't hurt them at all," he said. His daughters flourished and both became award-winning athletes in a variety of sports.

He just has community service and volunteering in his blood, he said, believing that anything worth doing is worth doing well.

"I never belonged to any group where I didn't become very active," he said.

McCoy's involvement with various agencies developed over time.

"One thing led to another," he said.

He worked as a court-appointed special advocate for children, helping those who had been uprooted because of family problems and divorce. He also spent eight years on the school board in Waitsburg.

Because of his involvement, McCoy had the opportunity to attend training sessions for a number of his volunteer positions, including an ombudsman program and Walla Walla Community Hospice training.

"I'm not cut out for that," he said of the position at Hospice. "I can't do that again."

McCoy gets a tremendous natural satisfaction in helping others, and he's always willing to try something new. He's volunteered at the fairgrounds and offered his services to FEMA, with which he was sent to disaster areas in Alabama and Mississippi.

"Many of these people didn't have the money to buy insurance. Then Mother Nature steps in. I've seen the adults crying. I couldn't do that work for very long." But with his usual enthusiasm, he gave it a try.

He's excited about being named treasurer for the Center at the Park, which he says is vital to the community.

"I think it's the largest senior organization in the Valley," he said.

"What is very important about the senior center -- five days a week they have congregate meals. ... For many, it's the only balanced meal they get all day," he said.

The Center also provides opportunities for people to meet and socialize, and offers a number of classes and activities.

Like other agencies, they are doing more with less. Most organizations have seen funding cuts, he said, and as the large population of Baby Boomers ages -- as everyone ages -- the need for services continues to increase.

Local agencies exist to help seniors, he said, but seniors should be proactive about getting themselves the assistance they need.

"I can't say enough about Valley Transit, especially Dial-A-Ride. Many seniors cannot get around without Dial-A-Ride. There is plenty of satisfaction for the drivers, I have heard plenty of them say 'I love my job,'" he said.

"If you're isolated you can always call BMAC, St. Vincent de Paul, the Salvation Army, the senior center and ALTC. In Washington state you can call 211."

A number of these organizations can offer referrals, he said.

From his work as a senior companion and ombudsman in the area's senior housing facilities, McCoy learned that loneliness is often an issue for seniors.

"You'd be surprised how many older folks don't have any visitors. ... Many have no relatives nearby. ... (I)t's so unfortunate for those who do have nearby relatives who are too busy with their own lives," he said.

One important thing a senior can do is to tell someone they trust, such as a neighbor or postal worker, that they live alone, he said.

"Then they can keep an eye out for you," he said.

Karlene Ponti is the U-B specialty publications writer. She can be reached at 509-526-8324 or [email protected].

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