Congratulations to Volunteer of the Quarter, Rod Tokubo, Rural program! Rod has been a volunteer at MOWSV since January 2019 as a meal delivery driver for our North Monterey County clients. Throughout his years, after retirement, Rod has volunteered at many different agencies but found his home at MOWSV. An active member of Compass Church (including singing in the choir), Rod believes that Meals on Wheels is God’s work, and he was drawn to volunteering in this way, serving people who need it most. Rod has shared that his favorite part of volunteering with MOWSV is talking with the clients. “They are all waiting for me to stop by with their meals and wanting to chat. I’ve formed close bonds with many of them and I get personal satisfaction from doing a job that is helpful to those in my community,” says Rod. “I would tell anyone who is interested in volunteering with MOWSV how personally rewarding it is and to do it!”

Rod lives in Salinas with his 2 dogs, 2 cats and a goldfish. As an adult, Rod moved to Salinas in 1989 to raise his own family. As a child, he lived in Monterey from 1952, when he was a first-grader. Born in Tacoma, Washington, Rod's family moved when his father’s job in the Army (an instructor at the Defense Language Institute) transferred them to California’s Central Coast. Rod followed in his father’s footsteps, joined the Army and served tours in Vietnam – he was a First Lieutenant and Platoon Leader. He stays in touch with other veterans from Vietnam and is a member of the local VFW. Beyond his time in the military, Rod built a career as a Real Estate Broker owning his own company for over 30 years. When he retired in 2010, he played lots of golf and then took up dancing! He enjoys Argentine Tango and has been involved in the Monterey Tango community for 20 years. “Everyday is spoken for and filled with activities that I love to do,” says Rod.