There is a good chance you have seen Ruth Perry around Albert Lea.

Perry volunteers with many different organizations in Albert Lea every day of the week, some once a week and others once a month.

&uot;I didn’t realize how involved you can get,&uot; she said.

Perry grew up in Northwood, Iowa and enlisted in the military after she graduated from high school; she would be in the military for 20 years. After her time with the service she went to work for the Social Security Administration.

In both lines of work she saw the need for volunteers. She knew when she retired she would start volunteering. Perry got involved the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, which is where she has signed up for all her volunteer assignments.

After retiring, Perry moved to Albert Lea so she could be close to her 102-year-old-mother in Northwood. Perry wanted to work with seniors because she knew some of them didn’t have anybody else to look forward to seeing.

&uot;Anything I can do to make them happy makes me feel good,&uot; she said.

Perry, among many other things, will go grocery shopping for seniors at Oak Park Place, makes sure seniors older than 80 get birthday cards from President George W. Bush at St. John’s and answers the phone for Community Action. She volunteers whenever she can and will help out with an organization that needs it.

&uot;There’s so much need for volunteers,&uot; she said.

Perry wanted to keep making a difference and helping the community after she retired. She has been able to do it by giving much of time to organizations that are in need of people to help.

&uot;I don’t know how to explain it,&uot; she said. &uot;I just enjoy what I do.&uot;