By Kristine Thomas
Terry Thomas once believed he didn’t have the necessary skills to make a difference.
His first volunteer project was leading a project to get lights for the softball field his church team played games on.
“I talked to the utility company to donate the equipment and poles and I had to make a presentation to the city council and organize the labor to put the lights in place,” he said, adding he was in his 20s at the time of the project.
The softball light’s project taught Thomas that making a difference in his community doesn’t require making monumental changes. Rather, it’s simply getting the work done.
“I never started volunteering to make a difference,” Thomas said. “I always knew I just liked helping people.”
Thomas, 70, was surprised to be chosen as the 2010 First Citizen by the Silverton Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s kind of difficult to put in words what receiving this recognition means to me. I don’t feel like I deserve it and I haven’t done what I consider great things,” he said. “I like working behind the scenes to get things done rather than being the person out front. I am not used to this attention.”
Fellow Kiwanis member Judy Schmidt said Thomas is an incredible advocate and volunteer for “our beautiful community.” She has worked with Thomas on many projects including when he was president and instrumental in blending the Kiwaniannes, the women’s group, with the Kiwanis to develop a more focused service group. Over the years, the Kiwanis members have worked on and supported projects for students, families, faith-based groups, and community projects.
Thomas can be found community events from serving concessions for the Mat Club, gardening at the Benedictine Care Facility, serving hot dogs for the Eugene Field Open House, working many shifts at Oktoberfest, collecting and hauling items for the scholarship garage sale and taking the lead on the new star ornament project for downtown Silverton, Schmidt said.
Thomas also helps with SACA food drives, assists with the coordination of “pets” at the Pet Parade and supports efforts wherever needed in Silverton.
“Terry’s enthusiasm and positive can-do attitude is contagious,” Schmidt said. “I have never heard Terry utter a negative thought and see him as a true, genuine leader. He leads by example and serves because it is the right thing to do.”
Thomas and his wife, Sherry, moved to Silverton 20 years ago. They were living in Southern California when they began searching for a place to live.
Their journey took them from San Diego, Calif. to Homer, Ala. They fell in love with Silverton because of the people they met. They will celebrate their 47th wedding anniversary Feb. 15. They have three children and eight grandchildren.
He and Sherry, became Kiwanis members when they were asked to volunteer for a project.
“Kiwanis gives people the opportunity to serve their community,” Thomas said. “A lot of projects would go undone if it weren’t for the Kiwanis members.”
Thomas’ calendar isn’t penciled in with appointments each week. Instead, he said, he leaves it open so he can help out when and where needed.
For 45 years, Thomas has taught Sunday school, currently for Silverton Nazarene Church. One Bible passage he lives by is “Don’t only look out for your own interests but look out for the interests of others.”
And being a leader also means admitting to one’s faults and finding a way to remedy them, Thomas said.
For example, Thomas confesses he has a problem with Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“I mix them up,” he said.
Many years ago, he had an appointment on a Tuesday to make a presentation about United Way to a world-class spa in Southern California. He arrived on Thursday.
“The manager would not see me so I went to the florist and ordered a dozen red roses and returned to the spa to give them to the manager as an apology,” Thomas said. “I never made a presentation to the manager but they ended up being one percent donors to United Way.”
After a Kiwanis meeting at O’Brien’s Cafe, fellow members stopped by Thomas’ table to congratulate him on his award and shake his hand.
Thomas said he’s not used to all the attention and he would rather be behind the scenes working on a project than someone out front. For him, it’s about getting the work done, not about getting the credit or recognition.
Thomas sees one of his most important roles as encouraging others to find a way they can serve their community.
“Anybody can serve,” he said. “When you give, you get the enjoyment and satisfaction of helping someone out.”
