Tom Gerdy

Tom Gerdy

I'M A FAN OF THIS BLOGGER (get email alerts)

RSS
Tom Gerdy is a building contractor by trade. He has spent the last 27 years running a small construction company in Lynchburg, Virginia (No, Jerry Falwell; Jack Daniels is Lynchburg, Tennessee). His true passion, however, has been directed at leading a variety of community efforts to help people in need help themselves.

He was lucky enough to find a woman, Jane, who has put up with him for 32 years. She was sure he would grow out of his childish ways, but life if full of surprises. They have four children and Tom attributes all of his gray hair to the years they were teenagers.

Local, state and national groups have honored Tom for his community efforts. He has received recognition from the Virginia Governor’s Board For The Prevention Of Child Abuse And Neglect. He also received The National Conference For Community And Justice Humanitarian Award. He lead a project that received a National Make A Difference Day Award at a local community center for inner city children.

Tom’s major focus of community involvement has been with Habitat For Humanity.

In 2002, Tom was chosen National Volunteer Of The Year with Habitat For Humanity for his work on several special projects around the country. In the midst of all of the recognition, he is quick to point out that people want to make a difference and sometimes it just takes a cheerleader. He claims that he is just a cheerleader.

Since there is so much work to be done in our country, he says it’s a good thing he is still five or six years away from middle age. He is 54 years old. You do the math. That being the case, he continues to cheer, but at 6’2” and 250 lbs. he refuses to wear the skirt.

Blog Entries by Tom Gerdy

This Isn't School, So Let Us Pray

Posted October 9, 2008 | 01:59 PM (EST)


The presidential campaign has set many records. Record numbers of new voters have registered. A record number of dollars have been spent campaigning. Now we have set a record by reaching new depths of mudslinging, personal attacks and slime. I know that politicians like to use country adages to make...

Read Post

Sarah Palin: A Lawyer's Best Friend

Posted September 17, 2008 | 03:24 PM (EST)


America, we have a problem. We have a candidate for Vice President of the United States of America that is hiding from us. To further complicate things we are finding that she can't seem to keep from needing lawyers to straighten out messes that she has left behind. The Wassila...

Read Post

Rumblings From the Graves

Posted September 10, 2008 | 08:46 AM (EST)


I am certain that our founding fathers didn't have this in mind as they risked their fortunes, their reputations and even their lives to create this country. In case some of you haven't noticed, the political process has once again caused us to take our eye off of the proverbial...

Read Post

Study Shows Politics Worse Than Crack Cocaine

Posted September 3, 2008 | 11:34 PM (EST)


How addictive is the game of politics and power? My unscientific study indicates that crack cocaine is nothing when compared to political power. Let's just list a couple of frightening "alleged" activities that were done in the pursuit of power, fame or fortune in the world of politics without attaching...

Read Post

Obama's World Tour and Albert Einstein's Revelation

Posted July 25, 2008 | 10:45 AM (EST)


Does anyone have any idea what E=MC² really means? What is the theory of relativity? What is the photoelectric effect? Who won the '53 World Series? I'm probably not going out a limb saying that there are only a handful of people in the world who can answer those questions....

Read Post

The Other Energy Crisis and The Prom Night Pimple

Posted July 5, 2008 | 06:08 PM (EST)


I have yet to pay $4.00 for a gallon of gas but I am sure that magical moment for me is only days away. It won't be quite as memorable as where I was when JFK was shot, but breaking the $4.00 barrier will be a pretty big moment for...

Read Post

We Are All Blended-Americans!

Posted June 9, 2008 | 03:40 PM (EST)


Like many other people in this country, the entire primary season wore my butt out. I am one exhausted American. The good news is that history was made. The bad news is that history was made.

Some of the 'good news' history included the following positives. The candidates who made...

Read Post

Stop The Spinning Before I Throw Up!

Posted May 12, 2008 | 06:02 PM (EST)


Somewhere along this long and drawn out Democratic primary process, the Clinton machine lost site of the goal. When things started looking tough for Hillary, the machine simply forgot about the good of the country and decided to use every twist and turn to get elected. What started out as...

Read Post

Ann Coulter, Are Your 15 Minutes Worth The Price?

Posted May 2, 2008 | 06:45 PM (EST)


Attractive blondes have always drawn attention, but in recent years we have given way too much attention to the antics of blonde women for non-news activities. In an attempt to fill space, the 24 hour quasi-news stations have put a variety of fair haired females on the front page. The...

Read Post

A Child Of Woodstock and a Regular Guy

Posted May 2, 2008 | 02:27 PM (EST)


Max Yasgar stood before about a half million people in 1969 on his farm at The Woodstock Music and Arts Festival in upstate New York and proclaimed "I'm a farmer!" The throngs of people cheered that simple statement. If you look beyond those simple three and a half words (I...

Read Post

We Are Family!

Posted April 27, 2008 | 01:47 AM (EST)


My wife's, mother Zee died on the morning of April 10 after a relatively short battle with brain cancer. When a loved one dies, your thoughts take you to many places that you might not otherwise go. I feel it is important to recognize and remember the magnitude of what...

Read Post

Much Worse Than Bitter!

Posted April 15, 2008 | 04:08 PM (EST)


Bitter is just the beginning! Spiteful! Outrageous! Angry! Hostile! Antagonistic! Immature! Irrational! Childlike! Just so I make myself clear, these words aren't referring to the small town blue collar workers in Pennsylvania. This isn't about Bible-toting, gun-packing Americans. This isn't about white collar elitists or middle class workers. This isn't...

Read Post

Lessons Beyond David(son) and Goliath

Posted April 2, 2008 | 01:48 PM (EST)


It is always exciting to see people overcome enormous odds to find success no matter what the challenge. The scenario is often played out, created or recreated through movies about sporting events. Most people can't help but pull for the underdog as long as they aren't playing against their favorite...

Read Post

Oceanfront Property In Kansas

6 Comments | Posted March 26, 2008 | 10:37 AM (EST)


I need to share a wonderful story I recently heard about cancer and death. I am sure you are wondering how I could use the words wonderful, cancer and death in the same sentence. I think that after you hear this story you will agree that in this case it's...

Read Post

WWGD - What Would Groucho Do?

2 Comments | Posted March 24, 2008 | 05:04 PM (EST)


Among other strange and wonderful words of wisdom Groucho Marx left us, there's a quote that comes to mind as I watch this campaign. He has often been credited with saying, "Please accept my resignation. I don't care to belong to any club that will have me as a member."...

Read Post

A Special Blessing

Posted March 4, 2008 | 07:28 AM (EST)


Most of us have a few experiences each day that make us laugh or grin for a short period of time. If we are lucky, we may cross paths with something that makes us grin for a day or two. If we are truly blessed, somewhere on our path we...

Read Post

Habitat For Humanity And My Rooftop Revelation

Posted February 21, 2008 | 08:12 AM (EST)


I am a building contractor in Lynchburg, Virginia. Almost 20 years ago, I was asked to donate some time using my carpentry abilities to help frame a home for a good family that needed a hand. I quickly learned about an organization called Habitat For Humanity. This home was the...

Read Post

The Magical Sound of Gunfire in L.A.

Posted November 6, 2007 | 10:37 AM (EST)


Gunfire on the streets of LA is not a new sound. It usually changes lives. It often brings tears. It sometimes ends lives. It always changes the world. This past week the sound of gunfire rang out almost continuously in Los Angeles all week long. The gunfire changed lives. The...

Read Post

Playing the Black Card

Posted October 12, 2007 | 06:02 PM (EST)


Blood once again stains the floors of one of our nation's schools. As reporters started picking up on the tragedy last night, the focus once again became blurred and twisted. Those interviewed shortly after the shooting didn't seem too concerned about the victims. There was little or no discussion of...

Read Post

Hey Brother, Can You Spare a Billion?

Posted September 28, 2007 | 12:45 PM (EST)


I believe it was the late Senator Everett Dirksen who said "A billion here, a billion there...pretty soon you're talking real money." I guess that's how we are now looking at elections and campaigns. The current guesstimates for the total cost of the two major party campaigns are...

Read Post

Bloggers Index›