Tallulah Falls recognized Gary and Donna Verdino for their volunteer work for the town and region this year and for the past 23 years. The town hosted a potluck dinner Monday night for the community to thank the couple for their contributions. At least 30 people attended the dinner, and others came to thank them and wish them safe travels.

The couple will leave for their next volunteer project on Friday morning when their 12-week stay in Tallulah Falls comes to an end. They will head to a NOMADS mission project in Northern Ohio.

The journey began in 2001 when the couple were looking for a way to escape the Florida summer heat after Donna retired. They read an article in the Orlando newspaper that said they could vacation in Georgia state parks and stay there for free as long as they volunteered at least 24 hours a week. They planned their summer vacation for 12 weeks, usually for the months of June, July and August.

Tallulah Gorge State Park

The Verdinos’ plan was to camp and volunteer at a different park each year. The first park they stayed at was Tallulah Gorge State Park.

In their free time, they would drive down the highway to the small town of Tallulah Falls to attend bluegrass concerts and meet the people there. “We went to the Bluegrass Opry House every Saturday night,” Donna said. “We fell in love with Miss Thelma at the post office and the different people we met there.”

She said the first summer changed her plans. “We fell in love with this area. We fell in love with the people here and the community,” Donna said. They continued every summer until 2008, volunteering at Tallulah Gorge State Park.

During those early years, Gary met then-police chief Bill Goacher. Goacher learned that Gary could do just about anything, Donna said. One summer, Goacher asked Gary to volunteer for Tallulah Falls. The Verdinos were grateful for the offer, but explained that the campground provided a free spot for their RV. Goacher offered them parking for their RV behind city hall. Donna said she was grateful for the offer, but explained that the campground provided them with the washers and dryers for free, so they wouldn’t have to go to a laundromat. Goacher told them, “That’s no problem. You can do your laundry at our house.”

Tallulah Falls

Since 2008, the Verdinos have parked their trailer behind City Hall and volunteered for the city. According to Donna, around that same year they received a certificate from the city naming them “Honorary Citizens of Tallulah Falls,” with the requirement that they attend church services annually.

Donna worked in banking for 30 years. Gary owned his own business installing/repairing heating and air conditioning systems. His business evolved into a handyman business that no longer just repaired heating and air conditioning systems. Since the clientele in the Orlando area was older, people didn’t want their elderly parents climbing ladders or doing things around the house that could cause injury. According to Donna, he learned how to fix things around the house.

Donna’s office experience and Gary’s craftsmanship have served them well over the past 23 years.

Gary’s volunteer work in Tallulah Falls includes being a volunteer firefighter and working with search and rescue crews in the gorge and Panther Creek. He has repaired potholes and water leaks, changed oil in vehicles, and helps city employees every chance he gets. The same goes for Donna. She helps at City Hall with water billing and fills in for the City Clerk when she’s off or on vacation. The couple works an average of about 50 hours a week for each week they are in town.

Tallulah Falls Mayor Mike Early said the success of the town of 200 depends on volunteers. “The town of Tallulah Falls really only exists because of volunteers,” Early said. He praised those who volunteer with the fire department and help repair water lines.

Early looked at the value the Verdinos bring to Tallulah Falls each year. “Gary and Donna come every year and give us over $70,000 worth of work every summer. That’s something our budget wouldn’t be able to handle otherwise.” He added, “It’s critical that we have volunteers in our community.” Of the Verdinos, Early said, “They’re pretty much the best examples we have.”

Volunteering – a way of life

The Verdinos are ending their stay in the city this week and will leave this Friday, but their volunteer work, which began as an escape from the Florida summer heat, has become a way of life for them over the past 20 years.

They volunteer nearly nine months of the year, and in some years the entire year. They spend the summer in Tallulah Falls, but in the spring and fall they volunteer in other parts of the country, traveling in their RV to the next project.

A few years ago, they joined an organization called Nomads, a mission organization of the Methodist Church. The organization is made up of individuals and couples who want to volunteer for mission projects across the country.

Those who want to participate must have an RV so they can stay close to the project sites and avoid expensive hotel stays. These projects vary from location to location. The work NOMADS do includes remodeling, home maintenance, repairs, new construction, office work, painting and gardening. They work on the homes of families in need through host agencies. The organization also works in communities that have suffered damage from natural disasters.

According to Donna, they spend three months in the northern states during the spring months working on NOMAD mission projects. Each project with NOMADS lasts about three weeks.

They would then travel to Tallulah Falls for the summer. Then in the fall, they could travel to the southern states for three months to participate in NOMAD mission projects. It all depends on what NOMAD needs at the time. But one constant remains: the Verdinos return to Tallulah Falls every summer.