Bob's Story

Bob’s Story: Purpose through Service

As Bob reflects over the past ten years he says, “It’s incredible what I see on the faces of those who serve. What I always hear them say is, ‘I get more out of this than I give.’ It is so much work, though. People say, ‘you put in so much work that can’t be true.’ But it is.”

Bob has spent the past decade leading the annual Feed My Starving Children mobile pack, but the road to discovering this purpose wasn’t always easy. He had a very successful career at the same Fortune 50 company for decades, until he didn’t. The company was sold, and suddenly he found himself in early retirement. In that same year, Bob’s father died. His wife Brenda’s mother died. Their sons finished college and moved away, and Bob received a concerning health diagnosis. Sometimes change comes slowly; sometimes it comes in crashing waves. With all these circumstances hitting at once, Bob found himself not only dealing with grief, but also struggling with his sense of identity and purpose.

Bob and Brenda were in a small group with others from Good Shepherd, where they had formed deep, lasting friendships. One of those friends was David Franz. David walked with Bob and listened to his story. Bob had learned so much in his decades of leadership in the business world, but now is focus was on how to give back. He wanted to find a place he could give his time, energy, and expertise to make an impact. That’s when David made a connection that would change Bob’s life.

Feed My Starving Children had been growing at Good Shepherd, but something was missing. There was a strong team, there was deep passion, but the project needed the leadership skillset to take it to the next level. David introduced Bob to Sean Guerkink and Steve Spoerle who had been heading up the project. “I had been searching for a non-profit to work with where I could give back,” Bob said, “but I thought ‘it couldn’t be this thing that’s right in front of me, could it?’” But as he learned more about the mission of Feed My Starving Children, he knew this was where he was meant to be.

Bob knew he could take the leadership skills he had learned in the for-profit world to support a non-profit organization. He quickly sought to implement focused agendas with action items, develop strategies and increase efficiency. But as he began, he discovered he had some learning to do! “I was shocked at the first meeting,” Bob remembers. “It was three hours! The first hour was just people sharing about family members who were sick or struggles in their lives.” Bob knew he had to adapt his leadership style. He learned that there is a big difference between leading employees who have to be there, verses volunteers that want to be there. Not only did Bob find deep purpose in the mission of feeding starving children, but he discovered opportunities to continue growing as a leader.

After 10 years of leading the Feed My Starving Children mobile pack (now Feed the Need, STL), Bob’s impact on this mission is significant. “Today our meetings are much shorter,” Bob says with a smile. “We have tight agendas and we’re much more efficient, but we take time to care for one another.” The relationships Bob has formed with others on the team are profound. “Over these last 10 years, this is the most important and impactful work I’ve ever done.”

Every year, Good Shepherd’s largest financial support for service ministry is to Feed the Need, STL. Thanks to your generosity, both financial and participatory, lives are being changed around the world. Not only the kids whose lives are saved, but the people right here, discovering their purpose in being a part of something bigger. “I always say this is like Christmas for us. There is a child you’ll never see, never meet, and never know their name. You give them the gift of life.”