Have you ever heard about an ‘Earth Angel’? They do not fly, or have wings, but they do wonderful things for people in need.
One Earth Angel is Warren Sparrow. In his previous career he was an Air Traffic Controller. Warren volunteers with Angel Flight. The organisation ‘is a charity which coordinates non-emergency flights to assist country people to access specialist medical treatment that would otherwise be unavailable to them because of vast distance and high travel costs. All flights are free and may involve travel to medical facilities anywhere in Australia’.
Warren’s previous employer is a sponsor of Angel Flight, so he knew about the group before he retired.
Upon retiring, Warren immediately volunteered with Angel Flight.
How much time does Warren spend being an Earth Angel?
‘Time given to Angel Flight depends on the number of drives and talks allocated to me. The hours given to Angel Flight would be 5-10 per week. I have driven to the far northern and far southern suburbs of Melbourne and anywhere in between. Average time for a Mission (read “drive”) is 3 hours’.
Why does Warren volunteer as an Earth Angel?
‘It is a great opportunity to support rural Australians who do so much to support our nation. Also, it allows a retired Air Traffic Controller to frequent airports without looking ‘sad and lost’.
Warren also presents talks on Angel Flight to community groups such as Rotary and Lions.
What does ‘retirement’ mean to Warren?
‘I do not regard myself as retired. I have resigned from my permanent and very satisfying job and now enjoy a relaxed lifestyle which gives me the freedom to choose what I will do and when I want to do it’, he comments.
Well done Warren!
To find out more, click here