Blair’s Story | Valued Volunteer Reclaims Purpose

Over the years, we’ve learned volunteers serve for different reasons. For some, their dedication and drive stem from having first-hand experience with homelessness. For some others, volunteerism is inspired by knowing that we only have so much time in this world to make a difference. For Blair, one of the longest-serving Joppa volunteers, his loyalty and passion for volunteering come from a combination of both.

After more than a decade of volunteering for Joppa, Blair was diagnosed in January 2022 with a terminal illness and told he had only three months to live. Yet, more than a year later, Blair continues volunteering two-to-three days a week, picking up and transporting food donations for people experiencing homelessness.

Joppa Cofounders Joe and Jacki Stevens remember that soon after his initial diagnosis, Blair was understandably shaken. But then, to their surprise, he expressed a desire to keep volunteering.

“He said that he just can’t dwell on [the diagnosis],” Jacki remembers. She said he wanted to continue living his life. “So, he keeps volunteering. He just keeps pushing through.”

Born and raised on the east side of Des Moines, Blair owned several successful metro bars and restaurants, which he later sold. He admits he was a “partier” who often gambled away money as soon as he earned it. After suffering two heart attacks, his health declined to the point where he could no longer run a business.

While renting a room in a home owned by an elderly couple, Blair found himself facing homelessness when the couple passed away, and the home became vacant. Despite having no working heat, electricity or water, Blair secretly slept in the abandoned house.

That’s when Blair learned about the Joppa propane and heat program from the homeless community.

“I met Joe, and he helped me out big time,” he recalls. Joppa helped Blair with heat while Joe and Jacki worked on finding him suitable housing.

Through a City of Des Moines program, Joppa helped Blair move into an apartment. Even though Joe and Jacki could have walked away at that point, Blair says Joe continued to visit. He helped Blair apply for Social Security, gave him rides to get groceries and talked with him about the future.

“He helped me make a list of goals and stuff like that,” Blair says. “He’d come by for at least an hour every week at different times for quite a few weeks.”

Joe remembers working with Blair on budgeting and thinking through ways to spend his time that would feel fulfilling. Volunteering came up, and Joe says Blair was excited about the idea. Joe believes that volunteering has given Blair a renewed sense of purpose, even more so following his diagnosis.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do when Blair’s gone,” Joe says. “He’s been such an integral part of our DNA and does so many things for us. He’s part of our family, and we’re really going to miss him.”