7 June 2004

Thursdays at Oxfam with Gordon

On Fridays I volunteer at the Oxfam Charity Shop in Sudbury.

Oxfam believes all human beings are of equal value, and that poverty is an injustice that must be overcome. It believes that working together helps build a just and safer world in which people can take control of their own lives and enjoy basic rights. The goal of this nonprofit group is to overcome poverty and suffering.

The first time I read the mission of this British charity I was hooked.

One of the ways Oxfam raises money is by selling donated items in more than 400 tiny shops around the country. Their charity shops are really upscale stores that sell donated items like clothing, CDs, vinyl records and books. The profits support Oxfam's programs.

When I found out there was a shop in nearby Sudbury, I called up right away to find out if they needed volunteers. The following week I showed up to begin my "work," which has turned out to be more of a public relations person and less of a grunt worker, but I digress.

Everything is pretty much run by volunteers. One of the first people I met was Gordon. He comes in on Tuesdays and mostly likes to sort the clothing for men. He is 85 and long ago retired from his days in the cleaning business where he specialized in men's clothing.

Gordon is a short man who carries himself with great style and dignity. He usually wears a hat and calls all the women "darling." He works hard for four hours on Tuesdays, then runs the "Hoover" and leaves for another week. Everyone appreciates his great attitude, and his tidiness.

The thing about Gordon is that he has a million stories. Sometimes he stands at the sorting table gripping his arm, but he doesn't complain that his arm hurts from reaching up to get the hangers. He is the most positive person you could ever meet.

He loves to talk about his granddaughter who is studying classical voice in London. Or about his wife who died a few years back. He used to say he was sure they would get to be married for 60 years but they only made it to 58. When he talks about how she used to love to wear big brimmed hats, which he often does when he sees me arrive at the shop in a hat, his face and voice grow so soft. I half expect him to cry, but he doesn't.

Last year at Christmas I spent the morning with Gordon sorting clothes. We talked about President Bush and the war in Iraq. Gordon shows up for peace rallies and prayer vigils. He was a soldier in World War II, and almost lost his life several times. He sat in foxholes alone at night watching for the Germans to attack. He rescued men from some horrible situations. And the whole time he was scared to death, but he believed he would survive because he had a lot of things to do in this world.

That December day I realized that Gordon's mind was growing forgetful. One of the great things about Oxfam is that we get to know each other and look out for each other. So when Gordon's daughter showed up last week to tell us that he was having blackouts, and would be moving in with her, we all hugged her and told her what a great daughter she was for supporting her father. She is determined he will remain independent as long as he can. For now she is driving him to the shop, and picking him up at the end of his shift.

When Gordon hugged me this morning something was different about his spirit. He told me he wasn't worrying about himself, just concerned, but yesterday he went for a CAT scan because he completely lost a day last week.

Before long all those wonderful stories of Gordon's life will be locked inside his malfunctioning brain. Watching Gordon change over the past few months has been a sad experience. One thing I am happy about, though, is that for a short time in my life I had Tuesday mornings at Oxfam with Gordon.