Florida Catholic | Faith Motivates Volunteer

Faith motivates volunteer of the year

Hillsborough S.O. honors Cruz as Hispanic Volunteer of the Year for prison ministry.

LEE DIEKEMPER | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 09.28.07

Jorge Cruz is the Hillsborough County Sheriff Departments volunteer of the year.

Jorge Cruz, who was honored Sept. 14 as the Hispanic Volunteer of the Year for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department, speaks to a client on the phone at his home office as his wife, Mildred, works on the computer. Cruz has volunteered “thousands” of hours over the years by spreading the word of God to inmates of all faiths and backgrounds at Hillsborough County jails.
LEE DIEKEMPER | FC

TAMPA | By day, Jorge Cruz is a mild-mannered if not gentle man who often works with disabled people in his home-based business of repairing motorized wheelchairs.

But when Cruz isn’t busy repairing wheelchairs and scooters, he’s trying his best to repair lost souls.

Cruz was recently feted by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department as a “Hispanic Volunteer of the Year.”

He received the award for his countless hours each week for more than seven years of volunteer service work at Hillsborough County jail facilities. Cruz volunteers in a number of areas, including both juvenile and adult inmates, reading the Gospel, teaching life skills and, in some cases, just lending an ear to those without someone to talk to.

An active member of Most Holy Redeemer Parish in Tampa, Cruz considers his volunteer work of spreading the good news a small way of paying back society — and Jesus — for so much help he received from others, including Christ, in his life.

“The reason I had to get involved is I can see where there are a lot of people in need,” he said. “Yet people who have the time don’t reach out for them. I like to extend my hand to others in need. I was young at one time and there were people in my past who were able to extend a hand and say, ‘Jorge, you can do it.’”

The walls of Cruz’s office are a testament to his dedication to his fellow man and his faith. Cruz has some 28 various plaques, certificates or citations of his volunteer work over the decades, whether from his former home in Chicago or here in Florida.

Cruz often reads Scripture to inmates and has discussions with them about the meaning of various elements of the Gospel. It doesn’t matter what denomination an inmate may be.

“I am just giving back to the Lord what he has given me,” said Cruz, who noted that, spiritually, his volunteer work gives him great satisfaction and meaning.

“It’s fantastic. It’s very fulfilling,” he said. “When I do something for somebody, it makes my day. It makes me sleep comfortably at night knowing that there was someone I was able to help.”

Cruz became a volunteer for inmates by chance. He was asked if he wanted to help, and he went through an orientation with the Sheriff’s Office. Once he met with some inmates, Cruz could sense a calling of sorts.

“I could see the need in their eyes when I was talking to them,” Cruz said. “I could see the need in their expression.”

Cruz works primarily with Spanish-speaking inmates but, being bilingual, he will speak to any willing inmate. He often works with juvenile inmates teaching life skills as well as discussing Gospel readings.

Cruz said it’s not uncommon for him to receive a note of thanks from a former inmate, stating Cruz helped him turn his life around. Such examples of thanks only motivate Cruz to continue volunteering.

“They tell me I was able to give them something they didn’t have before,” Cruz said. “I’ll get a phone call thanking me for talking to them. To me, if you believe in God, I don’t care what faith you are. You believe in Christ. If you are a believer, you are a believer. We all come from the same place.”

His volunteering did not go unnoticed.

“He’s an amazing guy; he contributes so much,” said Jan Bates, a Sheriff’s Department employee who oversees volunteer programs. Bates estimated Cruz has volunteered “thousands” of hours to inmates over the years.

“He’s really a backbone of our volunteer program and he makes a big difference. And the inmates can count on him,” Bates said. “For our juvenile inmates, they are usually 14 to 17 years old, and they can be challenging. But he has their attention. That’s not easy to do.”

Cruz also tries to impress upon the inmates of all ages the importance of God’s word and that they can become closer to Christ if they are open-minded.

Deacon John Alvarez, who coordinates the volunteer ministry for the Diocese of St. Petersburg, suggested Cruz is not just an important volunteer to the inmates, but is special to fellow volunteers.

“For other volunteers, they see (Cruz) and his work, and it’s an inspiration for them to remain in the ministry,” Alvarez said. “They know him for his actions, not his words. They know him as a leader.”

For Alvarez, Cruz and his dedication to both his faith and his concern for others are invaluable. “He’s a loving and open guy whose … whole life is what a Christian is all about.”

But he doesn’t just help inmates. In his line of work, Cruz often meets clients who have disabilities and are shut-ins with limited contact with others.

“They just need someone to talk to and I will take a few minutes to sit down with them,” Cruz said.

Despite the honor bestowed on him, Cruz has no plans to slow down. He tries to reach out to as many inmates as time allows.

“I try to give them hope that one day they can come out and be a productive citizen (in) society,” Cruz said.

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Faith motivates volunteer of the year

Hillsborough S.O. honors Cruz as Hispanic Volunteer of the Year for prison ministry.

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