Steve Matthews travels the deserts, mountains and coastline of the western U.S.to deliver relief kits for UMCOR.
KRISTEN CALDWELL
Oregon-Idaho Conference
There’s no grandiose story about how Steve Matthews came to be the road warrior that he is – traveling through the deserts, mountains and coastline of the western United States – to deliver supplies and relief kits to the United Methodist Committee on Relief Salt Lake City Depot.
He’s just a retired guy from Albany, Oregon, who happened to have a truck.
“I don’t want to know how much money I’ve spent,” Matthews said. “I don’t want to know how many miles I’ve put on my truck.”
After retiring seven years ago having spent time in the Marines and as a millwright, Matthews was on his own and attending Coburg United Methodist Church outside of Eugene. Perhaps sensing Matthews’ desire to find a hobby post-retirement, his pastor, now retired Rev. Gary Powell, invited him to make a trip to the Salt Lake City UMCOR Depot with a team from the church – and to bring his truck.
“He was able-bodied and retired,” Powell said. “I really saw that he had a passion for this mission trip. I never imagined that it would become a hobby/avocation/ministry of his.”
Last Updated on March 5, 2018