Gulf Coast Village Pastor keynote speaker at annual Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Program’s Volunteer Recognition Event Dec. 7

Rev. Tom Hafer, director of spiritual services for Gulf Coast Village, will be the keynote speaker at Dr. Piper Center for Social Services, Inc.’s Foster Grandparents and Senior Companion Program’s Volunteer Recognition Event, to be held Dec. 7. The luncheon will honor and celebrate 200 low-income seniors who serve their communities by working 20 hours each week with the elderly or children with special needs. In addition to Rev. Hafer’s presentation, Gulf Coast Village will also provide exercise bands, posters and a book as a motivational gesture to encourage volunteers to care for themselves to better care for others.

“Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions are some of the best examples of God’s love in work clothes and I am honored to speak to such an amazing group of selfless people, Rev. Hafer said. “I feel privileged to partner with Dr. Piper Center for Social Services, Inc. and assist them in taking care of folks of Lee County who often are under-served.”
The Volunteer Recognition Event will be held at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, located at 1380 Colonial Blvd. in Fort Myers. For more information about the Dr. Piper Center for Social Services, Inc. and its programs, visit www.DrPiperCenter.org.

Rev. Hafer is an ordained minister with VOA. In addition to his pastoral duties at Gulf Coast Village, Rev. Hafer’s hosts a weekly interdenominational worship service that is streamed live from Gulf Coast Village every Sunday at 11 a.m. to the Volunteers of America organization at voa.org.

Rev. Hafer received his Bachelor’s degree from Florida A & M University in Physical Therapy and has been a licensed Physical Therapist in Florida for over 25 years. He attended the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia and received a Masters’ degree in Religion in 2006. Rev. Hafer has authored three books: “Faith & Fitness,” “Well Planet: Fitness as a Spiritual Discipline” and “Aging Grace: The Journey to a Healthy 100.” For the past six years, Rev. Hafer has been traveling and speaking to groups and workshops across the country.