The PRT Good Neighbor Award recognizes people who voluntarily build a better community in Canelo, Elgin, Sonoita and Patagonia.
We asked our readers to nominate someone they knew who was a ‘good neighbor.’
Gift certificates to local restaurants were awarded to both the winners of the contest and to those who nominated them.
Thank you for sending in your nominations for the 2023 Good Neighbor Awards.
Congratulations to this year’s winners!
Chuck Kelly
Clare Bonelli nominated Chuck Kelly for this year’s Good Neighbor award. She wrote, “Despite being in his 80s, Charles Raynor (Chuck) Kelly works full time managing the Patagonia Senior Center—without any pay. In addition to keeping all the ADOT, SEAGO, county, and state ‘paperwork,’ he attends the mandatory sessions on transportation, writes grants, shops, picks up food from the food banks, and does whatever else is needed to keep the senior center thriving. He leaves Patagonia at 5:45 on Sunday mornings to go grocery shopping in Nogales for several people who are housebound and is often seen escorting disoriented people around town. None better than Chuck.”
“There’s a similarity between seniors and preschoolers. They both need love and attention.” Chuck Kelly, the former priest/corporate executive/ preschool teacher and now Patagonia Senior Center manager, chuckled, but with deep warmth.
Almost all the seniors in Patagonia know Chuck. It could be through the Senior Lunch program, where up to 45 people from the most diverse of backgrounds line up early on weekdays for the salad bar. Or through the Senior Van Ride program or education presentations.
Those are the visible roles Chuck plays as the director of the Senior Center, a full-time job which he has done for six years as a volunteer. The programs could not exist without his expertise and his refusal to accept any salary.
That in itself is extraordinary. Yet it’s also what he continually and quietly does behind the scenes that touches people and inspires them to do the same.
Chuck grew up in Manhattan, going to school in Harlem. He attended Fordham University before becoming a Jesuit priest for six years, during which he completed his M.A. in Philosophy. Three of those years were in South America, where he met his wife Patra.
Back in the U.S., Chuck switched gears to work as a corporate executive in customer service, credit and collections for Con Edison. He next did a 180 to become a preschool teacher for 24 years, mostly in Oregon.
He came to Patagonia in 2005, and spent his first 11 years here as a hermit. During that time he wrote nine books, including one on St. Francis of Assisi and a trilogy on Native American spirituality. His books are available on Amazon, and some of them are available at the Patagonia Library.
Now at the Senior Center, Chuck jumps into whatever roles need to be done. He recalls the first time he took over as cook. “I was pretty nervous about it—I didn’t know how to cook,” he laughed. “If there was lasagna on the menu, I’d be reading the recipe and coming in three hours early, trying to figure out how to make it and hopefully have everything ready by 11:15.”
Then he still had all the management work to cram in afterward, including daily balancing of the books and grant-writing back in his cubby-hole office. This went on for a month. “I didn’t realize I was under stress until I got shingles in my eye,” he said.
When asked what gives him joy, Chuck didn’t hesitate: “Seeing people socialize and knowing that for most of the people this is their main meal. And their main social opportunity. Like [with] preschoolers, I’m teaching them how to socialize and making sure they’re fed!”
Chuck feeds people on many levels. It could be someone up in the hills, unable to drive, who Chuck would go get for lunch and appointments every day for many months. Or it could be someone in distress who Chuck would take to the park to sit and chat. His example is contagious, as lunch attendees are often moved to pass around cards for signing and make sure to personally greet those who could use extra attention.
Why does Chuck go into overdrive to humbly and naturally be a good neighbor to all?
“I believe in a soul,” he said. “When we pass into the next life, we bring the love that we have. Therefore, we need to grow in love in this life. If you have love in your heart, you’ve fulfilled all the religions. If you don’t have love, it doesn’t matter what religion.”
If you see Chuck on his early morning walks around town or out buying groceries from several lists for people, take a moment to return some of the love and attention he so generously and compassionately passes out to all of us.