Valley Resident Uses Retirement to Volunteer with Several Causes and Spread Kindness

By Jamie Killin
Valley resident Jon Allen has used his retirement to make a difference in the community — from volunteering with his church, to helping out at André House of Arizona to providing transportation to those in need through Duet, he’s used his time to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
Allen has been providing transportation to medical appointments and the grocery store to homebound adults, which Duet refers to as ‘neighbors,’ through the nonprofit for over a decade — providing an average of a ride per week.
For Allen, the most rewarding part of the experience is knowing he’s making a true impact by helping those that really need the service and having the opportunity to connect with them during the drives.
“All of my volunteering is different, but I really like Duet the most because its one-on-one with people that can really use the assistance,” he said.
It’s a service that’s still in high demand, despite hardworking volunteers like Jon. Duet still has a waiting list of approximately 50 people who are in need of transportation and aren’t able to easily run errands or get to doctor’s appointments.
Allen also views his volunteerism as a way to spread goodwill in the community — giving everyone a better opportunity to pay it forward and make a positive difference in the lives of others.
“If everybody pays it forward and is nicer to everybody and helps everybody out, that’s the joy I get out of it,” he said.
“Because Jon’s kind helping William, then he can help other people in any way he can, whether it’s with a smile or just being nice, if we can all do that sort of pay it forward then we’re all better off,” Allen continued.
To learn more about how to volunteer with Duet, visit duetaz.org/volunteer.