Meet Two Of Paulding County’s Unsung Heroes

An unsung hero is defined as someone who makes a substantial yet unrecognized contribution. They are role models whose acts of courage, compassion, selflessness, perseverance, or sacrifice make a profound difference on others without seeking credit. They change our world for the better without seeking publicity.
As you would expect, unsung heroes are embarrassed by being in the spotlight. However, I believe it’s important for you to meet two of Paulding County’s unsung heroes who strive daily to make the lives of others better. Allow me introduce you to Carol Peters and Tim Post with the Paulding Nutrition Program.
For those of you who don’t know, the Paulding Nutrition Program provides lunch to approximately 50 senior citizens each weekday at the Paulding Senior Center. The Paulding Nutrition Program also runs Meals-on- Wheels which provides meals each weekday to approximately 86 homebound seniors. Carol and Tim run these vital programs which depend upon the charity of others.
According to Carol Peters, she has always loved serving people. She was working in a group home for developmentally disabled and mentally challenged adults in Carrollton when she moved to Paulding County. “Apparently the facility thought me moving to Paulding County meant I was resigning,” she continued. So she found herself without a job when she saw an ad in the Dallas New Era. She told a friend about the job but didn’t do anything about it.
Carol was driving down the road when she passed one of the Paulding Transit vans and thought, “maybe that is the job for me.” When she called to see if there were any driver openings, she was told about the position as manager of the Paulding Nutrition Program. “It was the same position I had read about in the paper,” she said. Carol believes without a doubt that God led her to the nutrition program. She sees her position as a ministry rather than a job.
Working with hungry senior citizens can be challenging. However, after one visit I left with the sense that Carol is investing herself in more than serving food to seniors. One of her concerns was whether the seniors she sees and talks to every day are going to be warm enough during the winter. At Christmas she worried about collecting enough blankets to make sure her seniors would stay warm.
Tim Post also sees serving senior citizens as a ministry. He developed a heart for senior citizens early in life when he and his future wife ran a bus ministry for seniors at their church. They made sure that the seniors who no longer could drive but still wanted to go to church would be able to attend worship services.
Two years ago Tim was downsized by the company he had worked with for 11 years. Later that same day he was praying and asking “now what God?” Tim says he clearly heard the voice of the Lord say, “work with seniors.”
Tim also saw a Paulding County Transit van and thought maybe that was the job for him. “I actually stopped the driver to find out how to apply for a job,” Tim said. The driver told him to go to the Paulding Senior Center where he was told about an opening in the Paulding Nutrition Program instead. And the rest as they say is history.
It’s apparent that Tim is also not just serving food to seniors. He takes time before each lunch to ask for prayer requests. As you can imagine with a group of seniors, there are lots prayer requests, and Tim patiently listens to each one. He takes his role as prayer warrior as seriously as he does his role of serving meals.
Carol and Tim know each senior’s life story. They know each senior’s challenges. They know it is inevitable that one day they will have to attend the funeral for one of their seniors. “I don’t know what I will do when that day comes,” Tim said. Carol agreed. “I can’t stand the thought of losing one of them,” she said.
In the gospel of John, Jesus says, “My commandment is this: love one another just as I love you. The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them.” As unsung heroes, Carol and Tim give their lives every day serving their seniors. They truly make our community a better place, especially for our seniors.
Join me in giving them a well deserved “Thank You” for caring so well for our senior citizens. Maybe you need to “pay it forward” in gratitude for how well someone loved and cared for a senior in your family. Consider making the Paulding Nutrition Program part of your charitable giving in honor of Carol Peters and Tim Post.

Written by Kenny Miller with Bellamy Funeral Home