It’s not often that a TV segment motivates you to become a volunteer when you live more than halfway across the country, but for Opportunity Village’s True Blue volunteer, Bob Burnett, that’s exactly what happened.
In 2011, while watching a 60 Minutes interview with Bill Walters, Bob was struck by the mission of Opportunity Village when Walters shared that it was his favorite nonprofit and gave an inside look at the enterprise. Having faced his own challenges and navigated limited speech abilities after suffering three strokes years prior, Bob felt a strong connection to OV’s work supporting individuals with similar struggles. OV’s commitment to providing accommodations deeply resonated with him, and he knew he wanted to contribute.
After moving to Las Vegas in August 2011, Bob began volunteering the following month and has done so ever since, clocking upwards of 40 hours per month in volunteer work for Opportunity Village.
“Everybody’s really nice here. It feels like fun work and I like to feel like I’m a part of all that is here in this community,” Bob said.
From holiday events to his personal favorite project of building and assembling model kits, and volunteering primarily with scanning and computer-related jobs to accommodate his abilities, Bob’s experience with Opportunity Village volunteer projects is nothing short of inspiring.
“I’ve been here for 14 years and I tell people, look at me, OV works with you individually and can accommodate so there is work anyone can do,” he said.
Get to Know Bob:
Q: Do you volunteer anywhere else?
A: Yes, I volunteer with my church.
Q: What are some of your hobbies outside of volunteering?
A: I like to watch all the Oscar-nominated films and I collect receipts for apps that assign a cash value to them.
Q: What is a fun fact about you that not many people know about you?
A: I have been to 24 National parks. Yosemite is my favorite.
Q: What are your favorite sports teams?
A: Cubs, Dolphins, Vegas Golden Knights, Vegas Aces, and the Chicago Bulls
Q: What is one thing you can’t live without?
A: Healthy Choice organic fudge bars
Q: If you could pick one superpower what would it be?
A: The ability to fly.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be?
A: Egypt
Q: What is your favorite part about being a volunteer?
A: The camaraderie, or “Esprit de corps” (a French phrase roughly meaning a feeling of loyalty and pride that is shared by members of a group.)
