As a freelance editor for FriesenPress, a Canadian self-publishing company, I have had the opportunity and privilege to work on many varied and interesting books. One of my very favourites is “At Your Service: Authorized Biography of Eugene ‘Uncle Gene’ Verdu.” As I read about Gene’s life and purpose, I fell in love with his mission and his selflessness.
To give you a brief synopsis, Gene was born and raised in Fairmont City, Illinois, in the 1940s. From childhood, he knew he was destined for something bigger than himself. Since Gene came from a devout Catholic household, it was no surprise that his first act of service would be church related. He travelled to New Mexico at age sixteen, where he volunteered at a church there. Over the ensuing years, Gene volunteered in many different places, eventually starting and running two organizations: Programs and Services for Older Persons (PSOP) and the Belize Children’s Project.
PSOP was started in Belleville, Illinois, and had made such positive strides in the care of the elderly that Gene was appointed a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging by President Nixon in 1974. That honour was extended to Gene several more years after that.
The Belize Children’s Project was just as successful an endeavour as PSOP had been. What had started as Gene himself flying a few children from Belize to the US for orthopedic surgeries became a massive undertaking involving Shriners Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, Rotary Club 6510 in southern Illinois, Rotary Club of Belmopan, Belize, and many more volunteers in both countries.
Though Gene passed away in 2022—before this book could be published—what he accomplished in his lifetime is nothing short of amazing. Gene’s dying wish was that we would be inspired to help vulnerable people. As such, all proceeds from this book will go to the Uncle Gene Foundation, a registered US non-profit organization that provides assistance to underprivileged children and the elderly.
It was an absolute honour to have worked on this project with Gene’s biographer, Mike Stith, who is passionate about this extraordinary man’s life and is actively involved in keeping his legacy alive.
I encourage you all to read “At Your Service” and get inspired to help people in need, whether in your own communities or further afield. Find out where you can purchase this book and discover additional stories about Gene not found in the book at onelegacy.com.
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