Doug Price pushed the lightly-bashed, well-used dull gray food service cart across the hallway, as the rickety wheels spun along the floor of Licking County Aging Partners in Newark. He had arrived in the kitchen — a cave of gleaming stainless-steel appliances.

He opened the door to the food hot box warmer, and a strong cloud of green-bean-scented steam immediately filled the room. Inside the warmer sat around 50 plastic-covered trays, each with a portion of beef, mash and green beans.

Price was taking the Aging Partners’ leftovers to the Salvation Army in Newark, something he does a few times a week.

Price, 69, grew up in Heath, back when the Salvation Army was “the old Coca-Cola bottling company.” He currently works part-time for Licking County Coalition for Housing, over a decade after announcing his retirement from the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

His retirement in 2014 followed his mother’s passing. And as a way to deal with her loss, Price began to get involved with the Licking County community around him. After a couple of years of volunteering, he started working part-time for the Coalition for Housing.

“He was a natural to go to the coalition,” said Nancy Neely, former superintendent of the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities, who worked with Price for 30 years. “He is highly motivated to help wherever and whoever.”

Neely describes Price as an “informal leader” — despite not having an official title, he’d always take the charge on initiatives and ideas around the office when they worked together.

Price’s desire to serve stems from his faith as a Christian, but also from situations he remembers at school. As a child of the 1960s and 1970s, the Vietnam War was the center of a lot of community controversy.

“Whether you believed in the cause or not, we treated [the soldiers] awfully,” said Price. “I saw people spitting on troops, and those were the guys that were just drafted. […] They had to come back after having bullets fly at them, and we treated them with such disrespect.”

In around 1985, Neely and Price were preparing to receive a national accreditation for the Board of Developmental Disabilities. The board was trying to secure a grant, and Price wanted to make sure their case was airtight.

“Doug pointed out that we didn’t have a standards manual,” said Neely. “He dove into it – he took that on with a vengeance.”

Over the next few weeks, Price became known as the “safety guy.” He was out making speeches, knocking on doors – finding out everything there was to know about workplace safety for the standards manual.

“He never worked the typical 9-5,” said Abby Spear, Licking County Board for Developmental Disabilities’ current chief administrative officer. “And it was always on his own time – he went the extra mile.”

This wasn’t the only initiative Price put his all into.

When Price began at the Coalition for Housing, he started just doing maintenance work, restoring parts of tenants’ homes. Plumbing; carpentry; painting — if there was any handiwork up for grabs, Price would get on it.

“Jokingly, I tell people that we’re trying to find a job I can do right, because I do a lot of things!” Price said. “I’m not good at any of them, I’m just trying.”

But what he is good at is copying. He will often observe others doing a task or construction, largely on YouTube, and be able to repeat it.

“I’m not afraid to try things,” he said.

While doing maintenance work for LCCH, he saw an advertisement in the Newark Advocate to do tax prep for the coalition. And since he’d been doing income taxes for several family members, he considered it as a good fit.

“I wanted an organizational meeting with Kathy Scott, who just retired last year,” he said. “She was just dynamite and I was impressed with how they treat people right.”

But Licking County Coalition for Housing’s welcoming environment was the main draw for Price to back out of his retirement.

“Everybody coming into the door—it didn’t matter what numbers were on your W-2 — you were treated with respect, no matter what,” Price said.

Currently at LCCH, Price is the coordinator for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, or VITA. During tax season, Price will work nearly nine-hour days, often not leaving the office until late into the evening.

Individuals earning under $67,000 per year can enter the coalition’s doors for an appointment and be out after 90 minutes — with completed income taxes. 

“It helps get people—especially low-income people—money in their pockets to get caught up on their rent, their utilities, or get their car fixed so they can keep working.”

Trina Woods, LCCH’s executive director, invited Price to be the VITA coordinator in 2018 at a kickoff event. She nominated Price for The Reporting Project’s 10-over-60 initiative.

“I nominated Doug because ​​we need more Dougs in the world; he brings such joy to people,” she said. “Just to see Doug in action is awesome; just the kindness that he shows – to everyone. It doesn’t matter what you look like, it doesn’t matter who you are, he just shows kindness.”

Price’s humility is also something that his current and previous coworkers all think highly of. At a previous VITA banquet, Woods wanted to recognize Price for his commitment to the program, but while still accepting the recognition, he disapproved.

“When I saw the opportunity to nominate him without him knowing, I was like: ‘Perfect!’” said Woods. “He really doesn’t bring attention to himself.”

Along with working at LCCH, Price volunteers at Dawes Arboretum and is also a “big brother” at Big Brothers Big Sisters Licking County, having mentored a young man for seven years.

“The youth are our future,” Price said. “[Big Brothers Big Sisters] just helps kids that need it get a little boost.”

In the center console of his silver Nissan Frontier, Price has a pack of UNO cards. They’re the ones he uses to play with his “Little Brother” – Price believes that playing board games allows them to open up the conversation.

“When he was younger, I used to work to let him win every game,” said Price. “But now it’s the reverse!”

Amy Reedy, the Community-Based Program Manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Licking & Perry Counties, took over Price’s match 10 months ago.

“He’s supposed to be retired, but he works full time!” she said. “He also finds time every week to go to the middle school to meet with his little, and I don’t know that he’s ever missed any!”

Reedy says board games work well as a bonding strategy; they’re “working together to build things,” or “with the competitive side of it and the critical thinking skills, [he’s also] learning how to win and lose.”

Reedy mentions that Price will go into his little’s school as part of Big Brothers Big Sisters’ site-based plus program, where the “bigs” will visit the schools at lunchtime to spend time with their “littles.”

“[Price] just shows this child so much love and support, and he’s just always there for him,” she said.

Now Price’s little is at the age where he’s moving on to high school, but still wants to be involved with him.

“They have a very good connection with each other,” she said.

Price’s support for this child extends beyond this program, out into the Coalition for Housing, back at the Board of Developmental Disabilities, and further into the Newark and Heath community.

Owen Baker writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.