By Mary Jo Blackwood

Bob Reichardt is a living example that we are never too old to find a passionate new career as a volunteer. While his stint in the U.S. Army was cut short by a back disability, he always felt connected to veterans and wanted to work with them to make their lives a little easier.

Bob currently serves as a commissioner for the Veterans’ Commission in Aurora, CO, but wanted to do more hands-on service to veterans. Finding out that the American Red Cross has a dedicated line of service for active and retired military and their families, he applied to the Red Cross to be a volunteer.

He interviewed with Abby Russell at Red Cross and was recruited to work with veterans; that’s all it took. With a bad back, working in disaster relief wasn’t really an option. So, in 2024 and at the ripe age of 74, he started volunteering at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center.

Bob became enthusiastic about the potential to make life a little more fun for veterans on the spinal cord unit by organizing game days, visiting patients, and hosting luncheons and movie days. He organized two game days for the spinal cord injury unit. The most recent one was a game day outside that had a large turnout and received accolades from the participants.

Bob’s enthusiasm and hard work earned him a Red Cross “Rookie of the Year Award” at the 2025 volunteer awards ceremony. His nomination read: “Bob joined the American Red Cross in November 2024. During his short time here, he has stepped into the leadership position as the Veterans Affairs Volunteer Services Deputy for the Rocky Mountain Regional VA. He has led not one, but two game day events at the Spinal Cord injury unit. Under his leadership, Bob has coordinated these events between the VA staff and the volunteer team to deliver riveting game days to the SCI patients. Anything that benefits veterans, Bob is always ready to step up to the plate.”

Andrew Yao, a regional program specialist for Services to Armed Forces and International Services (SAF/IS), wrote his nomination and now works with Bob one-to-one. “It is rare that we get a volunteer from outside who wants to lead and jumps in with both feet,” Andrew said. “He really took over leading events at the VA and took a lot of initiative. I nominated him because of his enthusiasm and desire to help vets. He’s an inspiration to the rest of the volunteer team.”

In addition to his work at the VA, Bob attends the monthly PANVET Breakfast Club in Loveland, CO, as often as possible because his brother — a Navy veteran — and 150 to 200 veterans go every Saturday morning. He’s very knowledgeable about the veteran community and always on the lookout for more services they can provide to help veterans deal with the stress they have. Currently, Bob is hard at work trying to plan events that will engage more women veterans, who tend to be underrepresented.

For Bob, there’s a simple reason that explains why he keeps volunteering. “I want to keep supporting our veterans because they have served our country and deserve to be taken care of,” he said. “I also work with a terrific group of Red Cross staff and volunteers who inspire me to do more.”

Every day across America, brave individuals answer our nation’s call to serve in the United States Armed Forces, assuming great responsibility and facing challenges unique to military life. More than 200,000 military and veteran families are supported each year by dedicated Red Cross volunteers and staff. If you would like to volunteer to serve our veterans, visit the Red Cross Become a Volunteer website.