Community Spotlight: In this series, the Gazette-Journal shines the light on residents who are working to make this a better place.

John and Laura Northstein of Gloucester have been volunteering for Meals on Wheels in Gloucester for about 30 years each.

John said that he began volunteering shortly after he retired in 1989 from teaching various science courses in public schools. Laura began volunteering with John a couple of years later after she retired as a public health nurse.

The couple, who has been together for over 60 years, met when they were both attending school in Lynchburg. John was studying at Lynchburg College and Laura was attending the Virginia Baptist Hospital School of Nursing.

When John began volunteering at Meals on Wheels, the volunteers were delivering hot meals to clients every day. Pam Allen, Gloucester Senior Center Director and head of Meals on Wheels in Gloucester, said that she had a volunteer who would come in every morning at 4 o’clock to cook ...