“Here I have so much love. What else could I need?” – Dori Moya
How someone so small in stature could have such a large impact on a community is extraordinary. But the numbers don’t lie. With roughly 600 volunteer hours logged in 2014 alone, 70-year-old Dori Moya—a slip of a woman with a voice no louder than a commanding whisper—is 80 pounds of pluck, serving as a volunteer for the Selma Police Department.
(Hopefully, dear FresYes readers, you’ll forgive this slight detour outside the city limits. When you get an opportunity to share the story of a woman like Dori, you don’t pass it up.)
Dori should be an example to us all. For the past 13 years, she’s donned the police volunteer’s uniform of a crisp white collared shirt and navy slacks to help her community in any way she can. Often times, that involves cracking down on jaywalkers, making sure handicap parking is used only by those who need it, distributing food to the homeless, and adding muscle to the security detail at the local Salvation Army.
Dedicating anywhere between 50 to 70 hours a week volunteering, Dori says she’s definitely got her “hands in the pie.”
On April 15, Hands Across the Valley will honor Dori and other local volunteers for their service to their communities at a ceremony in Clovis. Here, she talks about what brought her to the Valley, why she volunteers and the plan that may just allow her to keep policing the streets of Selma forever.
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Tamera Shoemaker says
I loved this , Kendra! Made me think that we are kept alive by feeling appreciated and loved…a lesson for us all.
Kendra Gilbert says
So true, Tamera. If you ever find yourself in Selma, stop by the police station and see Dori. She’s a hoot!
Erika D. Castanon says
Hey Kendra! I actually did a story on Dori for the Selma Enterprise earlier this year. She is fantastic. It was a blessing to meet her.