Volunteer Spotlight: Mercy Vosseler, Chehalem Senior Center
By ISAAC ARTHUR
“I like being able to help somebody. And, pretty much, they’re in the same boat I am. We’re all seniors. So I thought that would be something nice to do: to help someone that can’t get out, or [who] don’t have a car… that you’d be able to give them something that they can enjoy and eat. So, that’s why I stuck with it all this time.”
We’ve become accustomed in recent years to the idea of having our meals, groceries, and other conveniences delivered to us through any number of apps at our fingertips: DoorDash, UberEats, Grubhub, GoPuff, and the list goes on. Yet Mercy Vosseler has been delivering food to Newberg’s seniors long before this became a consumer trend or pandemic necessity. For over 20 years, first along with her husband Larry and then later on her own, Mercy has volunteered at the CPRD Senior Center. As a driver for the center’s meals-on-wheels program, she has faithfully driven her route, week after week, rain or shine, pandemic or no, to bring food to people who need it.
“Weather-wise you can do almost everything except for hail or snow,” she explains matter-of-factly. If her neighbor can be out walking her dog every morning, then why shouldn’t she be able to make her rounds?
“Driving through town and all is pretty easy.” The biggest obstacle? Traffic lights that take too long!
Not much in this quiet community in Oregon seems to phase her, aside from icy roads, and that may be because before she moved here in 1999, both she and Larry worked as security guards in California. They met while at HP, a gig that wasn’t too bad aside from the occasional graveyard shift. But prior to working for the Palo Alto tech company, Mercy was a security guard at one of the state’s now-shuttered mental hospitals. She can recount harrowing stories of violent patients (“Those gals that work there have to be very strong!”) yet that institution no longer exists, and Mercy is still here, helping where she can.
These days, Mercy is living a more peaceful life. She has a daughter nearby in Washington, and she likes her home here. She enjoys visits with her friends along her route and sometimes brings a meal home to share with Larry. As far as life at the senior center, she’s looking forward to the activities starting to come back, whether that’s bingo, bunko, or the Christmas bazaar. Still willing to take on whatever is thrown at her with strength and humor, single-handedly if needed: “[I’ll do anything] but run the place!” she laughs.
If you are interested in joining any of these activities, finding out more about what the Senior Center has to offer, or would like to volunteer, please visit www.cprdnewberg.org or call: (503) 538-1490.
