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Tim Coulson Wins ‘Neighborly’ Award for Outstanding Volunteerism to End Hunger in the Community

Tim Coulson
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Carbondale, IL – Tim Coulson has been volunteering as a cook at the Herrin House of Hope (HHOH) four days a week for the past three years. He gets there around six in the morning to start prepping and have the meal ready by 11 a.m. to serve those in need. HHOH averages 35,000 meals a year, and Tim has made 90 percent of it for the past three years.

WSIU Public Broadcasting, a service of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is pleased to announce Tim Coulson as the new “Community” recipient of the ‘Neighborly’ award for the first quarter of 2020.

“It’s an honor and a humbling experience to receive this award. I’m glad that God used me as an instrument to reach out to others because this is a reach-out facility. I don’t mind putting in anywhere from 40 to 60 hours a week in here. It’s not the hours that make the difference. It’s seeing a smile upon their face or hearing them say when I walk down the street sometimes to go get something, ‘Hey, thanks for that meal. That was great.’ I found it a true blessing,” said awardee Tim Coulson.

It's not the hours that make the difference. It's seeing a smile upon their face or hearing them say when I walk down the street sometimes to go get something, 'Hey, thanks for that meal. That was great.' I found it a true blessing.

Coulson has a degree in cooking from the Culinary Arts Institute. Before becoming a cook in in the Navy at Great Lakes, Ill., where he cooked for and fed 22,000 people, he studied food and nutrition in high school. When he got out of the service, he went to work for an Italian restaurant where they made everything from scratch.

“My aunt Ann inspired me to reach out to others. I was about 20 years old when she did a program in Collinsville called Meals on Wheels. She would make sure that everyone had a balanced meal. She was also the cook and the head coordinator. When I asked her how could she do it all and what gave her the strength, she said God did. So, I learned it from her, and I’m glad I did. I also learned it from my minister because there are nine of us from our church that help out here daily,” said Coulson.

A couple of years ago, Tim almost died due to a massive heart attack. Once revived, he heard God say he had a mission for him. Since then, Tim has chosen to volunteer in the community. He wants to make sure that he fulfills his destiny here on earth, so when it’s his time to get his rewards, he’ll have no trouble.
 
Expressing his views on being a good neighbor and what it means to him, Coulson said, “If you don’t have loyalty and honesty, then you can’t be a good neighbor to anybody. You have to love yourself before you can love someone else. God gave me the opportunity a couple of years ago when we lived in the St. Louis area, and we moved here to start our own ministry feeding everybody. You have to have loyalty and integrity to become a good neighbor because we’re all out here to help each other."
 
Tim loves to sing and can hit four octaves using one breath. For 22 years, he belonged to a choir in Collinsville and held first chair. He likes to paint and go to baseball games and on long drives. He and his wife also like to collect rocks.

I've had the honor to mentor and watch Mr. Coulson do the same to other volunteers. He has volunteered faithfully as a cook and takes his role very seriously. He defines selflessness and demonstrates his passion to end hunger in Southern Illinois.

“I’ve had the honor to mentor and watch Mr. Coulson do the same to other volunteers. He has volunteered faithfully as a cook and takes his role very seriously. He defines selflessness and demonstrates his passion to end hunger in Southern Illinois,” said nominator John Steve, Director of the Herrin House of Hope. For more information on the services available at Herrin House of Hope, visit http://www.herrinhouseofhope.org/ or call 618-942-8500.

About One Region All Neighbors

WSIU’s One Region, All Neighbors campaign is inspired by the life and legacy of Fred Rogers. For more than thirty years, Fred Rogers reached into homes and hearts with his children’s public television program, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Fred Rogers’ career demonstrated the power of kindness and transformed our understanding of childhood. His legacy lives on through Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media. The spirit of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood continues with Fred Rogers Productions, creator of award-winning programs such as Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Peg+Cat, and Odd Squad, which are broadcast daily on the PBS KIDS line-up on WSIU Public Television. Activities, interactive games, and videos associated with these programs are available online.

Nominate Your Neighbors

WSIU encourages the public to participate in One Region, All Neighbors campaign by nominating neighbors online at https://www.wsiu.org/neighbor and sharing on social media using #WeAreAllNeighbors.

About WSIU Public Broadcasting

WSIU Public Broadcasting is licensed to the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University and is an integral part of the College of Mass Communication & Media Arts on the Carbondale campus. The WSIU stations reach more than five million people across six states and beyond through five digital public television channels, three public radio stations, a radio information service, a website, and education and outreach services. They partner with other community organizations to promote positive change and to support the academic and public service missions of Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Learn more and get the latest station news online at wsiu.org and on WSIU's Facebook and Twitter pages.

WSIU Public Broadcasting is an NPR, PBS member-station located in Carbondale, IL at Southern Illinois University. Contact WSIU Radio at 618-453-6101 or email us at wsiuradio@wsiu.org.
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