I attended Creeds Elementary School – AKA Creeds High – from first through seventh grade, I always consider Creeds my home. In 1955, my parents moved me to Norfolk the summer before I started eighth grade.
My wife, Rae, and I are not strangers to moving. We lived in Norfolk for six years, Bradenton, Fla., for 15 years, Titusville, Fla., for 10 years, St. Louis for seven years, Huntsville, Ala., for two years and Oakhill, Va., for another two years.
In 2004, we decided to retire and move back to Virginia Beach on the same lot where my parents lived when I was born.
I learned early on that, once you leave a place, you can never go back and things will never the same. Friends that you knew have moved on, and what was rural county is now city with new streets, highways and buildings. What was farmland is now new neighborhoods with houses. Nothing stays the same. Everything changes over time.
When we heard about the Senior Resource Center, Inc., we decided to check it out. I found a number of people that I had gone to school with at Creeds – some older, some younger. My wife met new friends. We began to feel at home.
Since then, we have been able to make many new acquaintances, people I would never have had the opportunity to meet had it not been for organizations like the Senior Resource Center and our church, Oak Grove Baptist.
I joined the Creeds Ruritan Club in 2007. The only person I knew was Curtis Ansell. He took me under his wing and introduced to me to other members. Since then, I have served on the board of directors and as club president for two years.
From volunteering in various organizations, I have found you only get out of something what you put into it.
We strongly believe that organizations like these have helped us assimilate into the community and are helping us to stay active physically and mentally,
For those who may be new to the community, don’t sit back and wait for friends to come to you. Get out, get involved and make friends. There are local churches, clubs and organizations that you may be attracted to. The city of Virginia Beach, the Senior Resource Center, Creeds Elementary School and the local library are always looking for volunteers.
And, if you want to earn a little extra cash, you can sign up to work at a local polling station on Election Days. There, too, you will meet your nearest neighbors.
Williams, who lives in Creeds, is the president of the Senior Resource Center, Inc. For information about the center, visit vbsrc.com, email info@vbsrc.com or call (757) 385-2175.
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