"It started with a Sunday night poker game..."

I sat down for a few minutes this morning with my friend Jeff Weaver. Here are the highlights from our conversation.

"I take little parts and make them into bigger parts," says Jeff Weaver.

Jeff has been a volunteer welder-fabricator at the Make the World Mobile shop in Phenix City for 3 and 1/2 years. I asked Jeff how he found us.

Jeff responded, "I was in a Sunday night poker game. The phone rang. It was Donald Barr. 'I got something I want you to do for me.'"

Jeff and Donald have been friends their entire lives. There's nothing that Jeff wouldn't do for Donald.

Donald said,"there's a group that I volunteer for and I want you to meet me over there tomorrow." He told me where it was and to go over there and find Sam," said Jeff.

"I didn't know Sam. I had never heard of this place, had no idea it was here," said Jeff.

It had been years since Jeff had welded. As a young man, Jeff had welded for a foundry and for Georgia Power Company. It had been 30 years since he had touched a welding machine.

"Sam lead me out into a little shed, which was literally an old brick pump house from the 20s or 30s. The floor space was about 3'x5' and there was a bench there," said Jeff.

Not an impressive facility, but Jeff agreed to come out and weld on the days that Donald was there.

According to Jeff, "the hook was set from there. Two things happened. I was given the information of what we do and why we do it. And that was interesting to me."

"I'm not a very sentimental guy, but I've always done a lot of volunteer work in my life, but nothing quite like this," said Jeff.

Jeff told me that he was moved by the video that we present to all first-time shop visitors. Along with a renewed interest in the art of welding, Jeff was ready to begin his adventure.

"The more I learned, the more interested I got in it."

"The idea of doing this to help someone that I would never see, never know, never, ever get near in my life, is inspirational to me."

"The days I'm standing out there in the shop and the sweat is dripping off of my nose into that welding hood, and I've already burned myself twice because that is just part of it. I'm soaking wet in sweat. Why am I doing this? I'm retired. I don't really have to do this. "

"And then I think about it. Why we're here, what we do, and the ultimate outcome of getting somebody who is literally, I know it's crude, sliding across the ground like a snake. We get them up and give them something that they can move around in."

"It changes their lives to the extent that I'll never understand because I'm a spoiled-rotten person living in the environment that I do and the life style that I live. I'm very comfortable in what I do."

"I'm seventy-one years old. The people who come into this shop, they don't have to do this. It's a bunch of old men. "

"Every year I've been here, we've increased the number of parts. I'm very proud of what we do. I tell people about it all the time. Most of them don't understand. It's something that's got to touch your heart.

"You've got to have the heart of a volunteer because it doesn't do itself."

"God bless the the people who can raise enough money for us to do this."

As Jeff put it, “it doesn’t do itself.” It takes dedicated volunteers willing to sweat through 95-degree shop days, and generous supporters who fuel the mission so guys like Jeff have the metal and supplies to build life-changing mobility.

Whether you're swinging by to lend a hand in the shop or giving to fund the next batch of Mobility Carts, thank you for having the heart of a volunteer. You Make the World Mobile!