Heart of a volunteer

Jeff Della Rosa/Special to Siloam Proud Jerry Cavness of Siloam Springs places a flag at the headstone of U.S. Navy Capt. John Stockton, a World War II veteran. Cavness, who served in the military during the Vietnam War, recently joined American Legion Post 29 and is a member of its honor guard.
Jeff Della Rosa/Special to Siloam Proud Jerry Cavness of Siloam Springs places a flag at the headstone of U.S. Navy Capt. John Stockton, a World War II veteran. Cavness, who served in the military during the Vietnam War, recently joined American Legion Post 29 and is a member of its honor guard.

Jerry Cavness couldn't see himself staying home and wanted to stay busy after he retired from corporate life in 2007.

He saw a newspaper ad for an area coordinator position at the United Way and tried for it. He landed it, and calls the experience a "life-changing change."

He ran the Siloam Springs office and his area of responsibility included the city and western Benton County.

Working for United Way gave him the "opportunity to see behind the scenes and hear what's going on," Cavness said. "We have so many great volunteers in Siloam that are unsung. They never get recognition."

Cavness used to write a column for the Herald-Leader to help promote area nonprofit organizations. He would ask the organizations about their best volunteer, the director, what they do and who they serve.

Cavness' spirit of volunteerism and efforts to promote volunteers didn't go unnoticed. In 2009, he was named the Volunteer of the Year by Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce. This past year, the chamber created an award in Cavness' honor, the Jerry Cavness Nonprofit of the Year Award.

He presented the first award to Siloam Springs Children's Center at the chamber banquet this year.

Cavness, who's served on the chamber board, worked to see that a representative of a nonprofit organization had a seat on the board. Starting with him, a representative of a nonprofit has served on the board ever since.

He explained that it's important to businesses looking to relocate here to know that Siloam Springs has great nonprofit organizations.

A Good Heart

He left United Way in 2012, and the following year, he joined three area nonprofit boards: Hope Cancer Resources, Genesis House and Single Parent Scholarship Fund. He remains on all three.

Cavness, who is a cancer survivor, said cancer touches everybody. His father, uncle and brother all had it.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2002 but caught it early.

Treatment eliminated the cancer, and he's had no recurrence of it since then. In January 2015, he was told he'd not even need exams to check for it.

Hope Cancer Resources helps cancer patients pay for medications and offers financial assistance and emotional support.

Single Parent Scholarship Fund helps those who would like to earn college tuition, provides emotional support and helps with rent or car payments. About 90 percent of single parents are mothers, Cavness said.

When asked why volunteer, he said, "something says to me, 'I can do this, and I can help.' I have a heart for certain things. I'd like to say I have a good heart."

Volunteers help people through rough times, and they help families and veterans.

"Your pay is you feel like you're doing some good," Cavness said.

One success story at the Genesis House, an emergency day shelter, is about a registered nurse who'd just went through a divorce. She needed some help and employment. The shelter helped her and sent her to beauty school for a style before a job interview. She went to the interview at the hospital and was hired.

"I like to help somebody that's trying to help themselves," Cavness said.

As a volunteer, Cavness most enjoys the feeling he gets when he helps or contributes to helping someone having a hard time.

This sentiment especially rings true when he helps veterans.

"It's an honor to me," he said. "In my mind it's the least that I can do. I think we owe them a debt for our freedom."

Family Service

Cavness, who is 75, was born and raised in Bentonville.

His mother was born in Siloam Springs and a 1927 graduate here.

When Cavness was young, his mother was always bringing home children and feeding them. "Mom was always cooking," he said. She would often make fried chicken and serve sweet tea.

His father, Red, was mayor of Bentonville, a dairy farmer and a real estate agent. He also owned a pool hall with bowling lanes and recalled the pinsetters who would place pins after bowlers knocked them down.

During World War II, his father volunteered as coach for football and basketball teams and kept programs going.

Cavness served as mascot for the basketball team.

In February 1959, while still in high school, he joined the Arkansas National Guard. He graduated from Bentonville High School later that year.

Cavness served in the military during the Vietnam War and spent six months in the U.S. Army. He completed basic training at Fort Knox, Ky., before being transferred to Fort Sill, Okla.

He was in the U.S. Army Reserve when he lived in Washington D.C. and was honorably discharged Jan. 31, 1967.

"I'm proud that I did it," he said. It gave him an appreciation for the military and chain of command.

After the Army Reserve, he joined the U.S. Capitol Police. "We were policemen," he said. He recalled a tense time that they had to put on riot gear and stand guard next to the Capitol. Fortunately, the rioters never reached the Capitol.

This year, Cavness joined American Legion Post 29 and is a member of the honor guard. As a member of the honor guard, he's attended funerals of veterans. They fold and present the U.S. flag and also fire three shots on M1 rifles.

"For me, it's a privilege to serve," Cavness said.

Working for Sam Walton

Cavness worked at Sam Walton's five and dime store in downtown Bentonville.

He was transferred to a Ben Franklin store south of Kansas City before returning to work at the first Walmart Stores Inc. store in Rogers as assistant manager. But little money was in it.

So he went to Washington with a friend and took his uncle up on an offer that he'd have a job for him if he ever wanted one. His uncle was on staff of the Senate Finance Committee.

Cavness worked in the Senate Document Office as the assistant superintendent of documents and delivered bills, laws and resolutions to senators. He later worked for Bethlehem Steel Corp., as a lobbyist and legislative assistant. The company paid half his college tuition.

He received a bachelor's degree from University of Maryland, University College in 1971.

"I went to school at night for seven years," he said.

He worked for Allens Inc. from 1978 to 2007.

He was director of industrial and chain account sales when he retired. In this position, he sold vegetables to companies to make their products, such as beans to companies that made hummus, or to national chain restaurants, like Shoney's.

He previously worked for Steele Canning Co. in Springdale for six years. He was vice president of marketing when he left to work for Allens.

"That's one thing I am, I'm social," he said. "To me I'm not intimidated that way."

A few years ago, while Cavness and his wife, Valerie, were in an elevator at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, actor Harrison Ford happened to be along for the ride.

Cavness was quick to shake hands with the movie star and excited to tell him that he grew up playing on the land where the museum was built.

As Ford was leaving, Cavness, in all his excitement, almost forgot to introduce his wife to him. Cavness called out to him so he could, and Ford said he'd wondered when he was going to introduce her.

Looking ahead, Cavness hopes to remain active and sees himself shifting to advisory roles with the organizations for which he currently volunteers.

Some of Cavness' other volunteer service includes Siloam Springs Civitan Club, Siloam Springs Housing Authority Board and deacon of Flagstone Church of Christ benevolence ministry in Bentonville. He was a Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce ambassador and volunteer for Bridges to Wellness.

His wife jokingly asked him if there would ever be any money involved in the work.

He said he was reimbursed for travel expenses when he served on the Silver Haired Legislative Session in Little Rock. He represented Benton County, learned about the state legislature and visited the governor's mansion before having dinner.

He and his wife, Valerie, were married 28 years ago.

"We are very compatible," Cavness said. "I love sports. She loves sports."

He and his wife love the Razorbacks and have season tickets to the team's football, basketball and baseball games. They also enjoy traveling. His hobbies include golf and fishing.

Cavness has a son, Joel, and a daughter, Jennifer, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

"I hope at 80 I can still be active and doing things," Cavness said. "I'm not good at sitting around."

Community on 06/29/2016