BEND, OR -- Robert ‘Bob’ Bennett was honored by Central Oregon’s Council on Aging as the Volunteer of the Year. 

Bennett delivered Meals on Wheels to elderly shut-ins in La Pine during February’s record-breaking snowstorm. He slipped on ice, and had to call 911 to be rescued. First responders dug him out from under his pickup where he'd been trapped, and the Council on Aging says a lesser individual would have gone home, but once Bennett was freed, he continued on with his route, making sure everyone got meals during the days-long storm. 

The Council on Aging has been serving Central Oregon Seniors since 1975. Bennett shares his Volunteer of the Year status with Sylvia Peterson, who helps local seniors navigate the Medicare system.