San Antonio, Texas, 55-year-old Doug Ruch is on a mission to spend the final days of his life giving back through community service in all 50 states. After being told he likely had fewer than 18 months to live due to stage 4 prostate cancer, he launched the “Dying to Serve Tour” to help those in need across the country. “I can’t go back, but I can go forward and help as many people as possible before I go,” he says.
Since mid-March, Ruch has visited nine states, including Texas, California, and Oregon, with plans to reach Idaho and Washington by April 15th. During his stops, he’s served meals to unhoused and elderly individuals, sorted donations at food pantries, and delivered food to homebound residents. He says the work has been physically demanding but energizing.
Ruch is relying on philanthropic support to fund his journey, and his efforts have already inspired others to get involved. In San Francisco, four people joined him to help prepare meals for Project Open Hand, which supports people experiencing illness or isolation. He hopes more volunteers will join his mission in other cities, summing up his goal as, “Help people and inspire more people to help people.”
Source: THE GUARDIAN
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