RAIN
EVEN IN THE
A PANDEMIC WASN’T GOING TO STOP 83-YEAR-OLD GREYSON PALMER FROM MAKING SURE THOSE IN NEED WERE FED WITH FOOD AND ENCOURAGEMENT.
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BY AMY FERGUSON | PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY
In times of crisis, like a global pandemic for example, it’s the ones operating behindthe-scenes who make the greatest impact. It’s the Amazon deliverers, grocery store employees, hospital sanitation workers, mailmen and women and so many others who have proven to be the most valuable players of COVID-19. Among the group of inspiring all stars in our community is a man who, despite his own susceptibility to the virus, refused to let it stop his generosity towards his fellow humans in great need. Let me introduce you to Greyson Palmer, a spry, 83-year-old go-getter who will not let a silly thing like age slow him down. In fact, Greyson is thriving and lives his best
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life by enhancing the lives of those around him, whether he’s living in a global pandemic or not. Even before the coronavirus disrupted our collective world, Greyson was serving the most vulnerable, the elderly—never mind the fact that he falls into this category himself—by delivering food to homebound seniors through the Columbiana Senior Center’s Meals on Wheels program. “I started volunteering because it gave me something to do after I retired,” Greyson tells me. “But, I really do enjoy the work. Actually, it’s not work to me.” In the age of COVID-19, however, Greyson, being over the age of 65, is
considered more susceptible to the virus and discouraged from being out and about. But you better try again if you think the warning gave Greyson any pause. “When the virus initially struck, we asked the volunteers to stop delivering to protect both them and the meal recipients, all of whom are considered higher risk,” says Ali Payne, the executive director of the Columbiana Senior Center who manages the Meals on Wheels program. “But Greyson did not want to give up volunteering. He continued to call and come by to check on us.” A few months later, with new health and safety protocols in place, the center resumed
