LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – A Lubbock man centers himself around giving back. Now, the State of Texas is honoring him for the work he\u2019s done for our region. <\/p>\n
Dave Freriks serves of the Volunteer Emergency Disaster Coordinator for more than 30 years. Before that, he was a secret service agent for several decades. All the time he\u2019s spent in the service of others led to Lubbock State Representative Carl Tepper to nominate him for the 42nd Annual Governor\u2019s Volunteer Awards. <\/p>\n
The 86-year-old started volunteering with the Texas South Plains of The Salvation Army in 1995. He helped create the chapter\u2019s disaster response program into what it is today. Creating a team of people that has traveled across multiple states and helped nearly 700,000 people. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll actually be going out into the areas where the disaster occurred and providing whatever they give us to provide when we get there,\u201d Freriks said. \u201cWe don\u2019t care who they are. If they ask for it, we give it to them.\u201d <\/p>\n
When he was in secret service, Freriks worked in intelligence and served in the northeast before he was transferred to Texas. One of his top cases was when he and his partner stopped a trillion-dollar fraud scheme out of Snyder. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe one that got me in Playboy magazine was the only gold coin ever made. A 1933, $20 gold coin. It was stolen from the mint,\u201d Freriks said. <\/p>\n
However, some of his proudest moments are spent giving back. Freriks described one instance during his disaster response work in which he and his team helped a man who may not have survived without their intervention. <\/p>\n
\u201cNow it\u2019s 20 degrees. There\u2019s about a 40 mile an hour wind. Wind chill had to be well below 0,\u201d Freriks said. \u201cHe looked to be about 40, laying on one of those wooden benches wearing only a t-shirt and shorts. That\u2019s all he had on. He was like an icicle. We got him in our unit, took him right down to our shelter. And they said later, it took him an hour before he started shaking. But he would have died.\u201d <\/p>\n
Freriks said there\u2019s not always a direct reward for helping others, but for him it\u2019s personal. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou may save their life, that\u2019s nice for them, but it gives you a better feeling,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Despite his age, Freriks said he has no plans to stop. He is encouraging others in the community to volunteer as well. <\/p>\n
\u201cWell, it\u2019s always needed. There are people always needing help,\u201d Freriks said. <\/p>\n
As for compensation, Freriks joked he is still waiting. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m still waiting for my first paycheck, but I\u2019ll never get one, but hey, it\u2019s worth it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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