As store lights went out across the city and business doors locked early during the recent snowstorm, Jim Myers stayed behind.
He’s got a rock ‘n’ roll edge — and he’s not the type of guy who lets some snow and freezing rain get in the way of making sure people have something to eat.
On Feb. 11, Myers, who is the assistant to the general manager at The Rock Wood Fired Pizza, sent the rest of the staff home at 4 p.m.
“We didn’t want any of our employees out sliding all over the place,” he said of the slippery road conditions.
He waited at the restaurant as snow continued to fall for the next three-and-a-half hours until a volunteer for the men’s overnight shelter at Calvary Lutheran Church could pick up nine pizzas that The Rock donated to feed approximately 20 homeless men.
“‘Oh, I’m good,’ I told the general manager — ‘I’ll find something to do,’” recalled Myers, who was named the Mirror’s Citizen of the Month for February. “It’s bad weather; I’m not going to hold that against anyone. Anybody can look outside and see how miserable it is, especially for the homeless.”
Myers was confident his Ford Raptor — an all-wheel drive — would handle the slush and snow on his way back to his home in Puyallup later that night.
His kindness was prompted by his young daughter.
“I could just imagine a young family out on the street having nothing to eat.”
Myers noted that anybody could be in that situation where they’re out on the street for whatever reason and have no place to go.
“The generosity that anyone in the city or The Rock is able to give — even a small token back to the community — is monumental to people in those situations.”
But that wasn’t the first time that Myer has stepped up to help people experiencing homelessness.
Every other week or so, after he leaves work, he stops at a nearby gas station in Federal Way and brings pizzas with him that didn’t make the cut that evening. He said there’s usually two or three homeless people outside the gas station trying to stay warm.
“Why throw [the pizzas] away if I can help somebody,” Myers said. “The look on their face is worth every second. I would hope that I’m never in that situation, but if I ever become that guy I hope someone’s generosity would give me one more day.”
He added that he hopes the pizzas will help warm up those experiencing homeless, fill their stomachs and “make that horrible night coming to them more bearable.”
Myers said he does not feel like a hero.
“Hopefully every good citizen would do the same thing I did. Help your neighbor out. I feel like it’s what citizens should do and that’s why I like working here in Federal Way because that’s what people here in town do.”
For more information about The Rock Wood Fired Pizza, which is located at 34817 Enchanted Parkway S., visit www.therockwfp.com.
Citizen of the Month nominations
Nominate someone who went out of their way for the Mirror’s Citizen of the Month. Nominees must live or work in Federal Way.
Send an email to editor@federalwaymirror.com or mail nominations to the Federal Way Mirror, 1010 S. 336th St., Suite 330, Federal Way, WA 98003. Please include a short reason why your pick deserves to be recognized and include your nominee’s contact information.
