Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.
This afternoon Jeff Turney stopped by to pick up some items. After sitting down and visiting with him for awhile I knew I had to write this blog…now. Jeff Turney is a retired Glendale Police Sergeant with more than 20 years of service. When most of us retire we travel, visit grandchildren or take up a new hobby.
Not so with Jeff for he has a new passion and a new career. Well, perhaps not a totally new career, you see, because Jeff had been helping people on his days off. Jeff has become an angel. At least that’s what recipients of his new career believe. Jeff is part of a non-profit organization called Operation Enduring Gratitude. Their website is oegaz.org . Operation Enduring Gratitude (OEG) was founded in 2014 and its original projects involved building wheelchair ramps for disabled veterans. Then it grew because there is just so much need. Their mission states, “The Veteran Community continues to grow larger, older and more in need. We want to fill the gap left by other services. With the help of good people, we make a difference in the lives of the Veterans around us.” I’ve provided a link to two of the stories I found on their site about them: Community helps Marine veteran restore house at https://www.oegaz.org/community-helps-marine-veteran-restore-house/ and another is Operation Enduring Gratitude seeks to rebuild homes, lives for veterans at https://www.oegaz.org/operation-enduring-gratitude-seeks-to-rebuild-homes-lives-for-veterans/ .
If you would like to help Enduring Gratitude, they can always use the time and talent of volunteers or a donation to go toward another vet’s time of need. Check out their site. You can also check out Jeff Turney’s Facebook page.
But I digress. Back to Jeff. A veteran’s home had been destroyed by fire and he called the
Mayor’s office seeking help. The Mayor reached out to Jeff. Jeff and Enduring Gratitude took on the job and rebuilt the vet’s home in 7 months. At certain times, there would be over 100 volunteers on site. This project had lots and lots of partners including companies who donated supplies or offered volunteers. This project fortified Jeff’s desire to help veterans and their families.
Jeff’s and the organization’s latest project will be revealed tomorrow morning, July 13th at 9:30 AM at “Miss Gean’s” newly rebuilt home at 7608 N 59th Ln, Glendale, AZ 85301. This widow of a veteran had become a hoader. It was to the point that the city was getting ready to condemn her childhood home built in 1957. There is a back story to this rebuild but if you really want to find out you will have to watch CBS news On the Road with Steve Hartman this coming Sunday morning (check your local listings for the time).
Jeff is about to take a page out of Steve Hartman’s book and is planning a road trip across ‘Murica with his son. Jeff bought a bus which he retrofitted and repainted. They plan to visit and interview veterans across the country and then post the interviews. He also said he has several books that he plans to write about his time as a law enforcement officer as well as his new passion.
There still really are some innately good people and Jeff is one of them. He, like many others, live by Jesus’ teachings including, “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
© Joyce Clark, 2022
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