How did Ruth Wheeler of Northampton get to be the nation’s top VA volunteer? By racking up the hours, of course, and they are considerable: 26,000 of them, give or take.
The time she’s given to the well-being of the Leeds VA hospital is the equivalent of 12½ years of working a 40-hour job without vacation time.
All because she hates housework.
Well, not entirely, but she did tell the Gazette that at age 85, she’s not doing too many yard chores any longer, and yes, she does dislike housework.
But Wheeler’s been cleaning up on the awards front. She was lured to a surprise ceremony in New Mexico this year to be recognized by none other than the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald.
No other VA volunteer in the United States can top her dedication. For the last 65 years, the Veterans Administration Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System in Leeds has been Wheeler’s home away from home. She answered this call to service in 1951 – and no bugle seems able to call her back. “I’m going to be 120 and bug everybody,” she told reporter Jack Evans, speaking of her plans.
Wheeler shows up at the VA so regularly that when she’s missing, people call to find out what’s wrong. The secret to working the equivalent of so many full-time weeks, it seems, is to put in a lot of actual full-time weeks, arriving these days with her red, white and blue handbag. On Valentine’s Day, in a nod to a gone-by amusement, she comes packing Hersey’s Kisses to pass out at a kissing booth.
Anybody not paying attention at the VA would assume she’s on the payroll.
She’s not. But if she were to get today’s minimum wage retroactively for all her service, the government would owe her more than a quarter million dollars.
The Northampton VA’s patient population has fallen in the six decades of Wheeler’s service, from 1,200 to as few as one hundred in this era of community care. The VA has struggled nationally to fulfill its promise to care for military veterans.
Volunteers can’t do much about that, but Wheeler is old school in her commitment. She puts the time in.
And when not adding hours to a volunteer record that’s likely to stand for a long time, Wheeler is known to visit a World War II veteran at a local nursing home.
This fine lady just can’t help herself – and her example shines. She is one of those people who puts the “great” in Greatest Generation.