Don Phillips was born in Whitefish. He and Jean, his wife of 38 years, have lived and raised their family in the same neighborhood where he spent his childhood. They have two children, Aaron, a teacher, and Aarica, a librarian.

Don followed in his father's footsteps and retired after 39 years as a railroad conductor. His organized volunteering is directed mainly to the Whitefish Community Center (formerly Golden Agers), where he delivers Meals on Wheels and enjoys the sociability of visiting old friends. But most of his volunteering is freelance.

He devoted 20 years to the volunteer fire department and has made and given away more than three hundred wooden Whitefish Bulldog insignias. With the first snowfall of the year, he fires up his snowblower and heads out to help his neighbors. He regularly cleans sidewalks and driveways for up to nine widows and retirees.

His neighbors "can't say enough" about him. They describe him as "a really neat guy," 'really helpful" and "a person who just does nice things without anyone knowing it." They say that "anything he sees that he can do, he just quietly does it."

To Don, helping others comes naturally. When asked why he volunteers, he responds with a quizzical look as if to say, "Why wouldn't one volunteer," and answers with a simple reply, "To help others." His reward comes from knowing that someone is better off because of something that he has done.

Don, we too can't say enough. Your community echoes the sentiments of your neighbors and thanks you for all you've done to make our community a better place.

— Jake Heckathorn

This column is dedicated to those who give freely of their time and energy to worthwhile community projects, but whose efforts often go unnoticed. If you know such a person, please e-mail [email protected].