Air Force Veteran Says Anyone Can Support Grieving Families

 If there is one thing Bob Lowe believes more than anything else, it’s that anyone has the ability to help.

“I very much identify as a strong supporter of Valerie’s House, not a donor,” said Bob. “I’m able to donate because I’ve been very fortunate, but anyone can be a supporter, in some way, for free.”

 Since Bob first learned about Valerie’s House’s mission to help grieving children and families in 2018, he has been an incredible ally and supporter of the organization’s families. From organizing countless community fundraisers to helping lay the foundation for the Val’s PALs mentoring program, Bob has made a profound impact on so many young lives.

Bob credits his religious upbringing and military family for his desire to identify the needs of others and assist in any way he can. It’s this mindset that led him to be a supporter of the grieving families Valerie’s House helps.

After serving three and a half years in the air force and the death of his roommate during the Vietnam War, Bob made a life for himself in the steel industry, where he worked for the next four decades. He is naturally compassionate and often found himself gathering wisdom from his elders and coaching younger team members.

“You learn so much from others,” he said. “Everyone you meet can expose you to something new if you give them the chance.”

Bob thanks and celebrates military veterans by hosting annual luncheons and fundraisers that recognize their sacrifice. While they have been put on hold during the pandemic, he is eager to begin hosting these events again.

Bob says he is still learning every day from his five children, eight grandchildren, and his Val’s PAL mentee, Marcel.

“Marcel is 17, so he’s always teaching me things I didn’t know,” Bob laughed.

Lately, Bob and Marcel’s weekly get-togethers have been focused on the college application process. Bob has been a Val’s PAL to two other Valerie’s House teens who have since moved on to attend college. These relationships, and the guidance and support he has been able to share through them, are his favorite part of volunteering with Valerie’s House.

“I’m involved because I saw that there was so much good being done here,” said Bob. “I’m just a guy trying to make the most of what he’s been given, and I feel blessed every day.”