Sharon Davies likes to help people. 

The Powell Valley Care Center resident has only been at the facility for two and a half years, and for the last year she’s been the president of the resident council. She said even before then, she made it a point to check on fellow residents. 

“If I see a resident struggling with something, I will go to either the nurse or Amy or whoever I feel needs to know, and let them know, ‘Hey, this person I think needs a little help,’” Davies said.

Care Center Recreation Coordinator Amy Spinden said since Davies has arrived she’s found other ways to help too. 

“Sharon’s always busy doing something,” Spinden said. “She’s a puzzle girl. She folds our napkins for us for the kitchen. She’s always helping out.” 

This summer Davies did something to help that no other resident has done before: She assisted with the summer food program. 

“It was a way to pay back the community,” she said. 

Davies was born in Pennsylvania and moved around in her youth to Missouri and Colorado before returning to Colorado, where she lived and worked in the Denver metro area. Then she met her longtime companion and they moved to Cheyenne where they lived for the next 30 years. 

Davies said when her companion died, she moved to Powell to be near family, first at Rocky Mountain Manor for a year and then the Care Center. 

She said if she didn’t need an oxygen tank she would travel around more, but she still finds ways to stay busy. 

So, after enjoying the summer food in previous years, this year she decided to give back. Her job, as she walked from the Care Center to the cafeteria each morning, was to help pack up the meals that were then taken to either Homesteader or Southside parks to feed area youth over the summer. The program is meant to fill in the gaps left when school lunches are not available. 

The program served well over 10,000 participants this summer, and for all but three of the mornings, Davies was in the cafeteria prepping, usually from 8-9:30 a.m. Mainly her job was to fill sacks with silverware. 

Before long she was recognized for making the extra effort.

“It was amazing the people that would come up and thank me,” she said, adding, “Some of the other residents that are able, I think they should consider doing it.”

Care Center Administrator Jaren Renfro said the community does a lot for the center, so it’s great when they can give back. 

“We love when our residents get involved with different community things and give back,” he said. “It’s pretty awesome.”

Davies also helped out at the end of year barbecue July 31, helping to serve 325 community members. 

“I was handing out broccoli and carrots, and I was amazed at how many kids were actually up for the broccoli,” she said, noting that during the regular lunches all kids had to take a veggie, they could skip it for the barbecue. 

Davies said it was also an opportunity to chat with the student aides who helped out with the food program during the summer. 

“It’s something to help the kids that I know wouldn’t have a meal otherwise,” she said. “It’s a way to pay back the community since I can’t do much of anything else.”