Lon Ricker should have been a hippie from the ’60s but as fate would have it he became a software engineer in the ’90s. Since he was a bright little kid, his parents encouraged him to go to college and “be someone.” With little forethought his education helped him land a telecom job in Dallas. He rode the wave like everyone else in the Telecom industry. He ‘retired’ several times. Each time he vowed he never wanted to return to corporate America. He’d take off for a few months or years between jobs and drive his truck and trailer to a remote location, park it and ride his motorcycle. Maybe he’d work construction or dig a ditch or paint a house. He just wanted to enjoy life…that’s all. And then a life change would occur (like getting married) and he’d return to a “regular” job.
One of the issues in corporate America for him entailed promotions into management. He hated it. He was a super software engineer with a real talent for testing. When he “took a package” (severance) three years ago, he realized he wasn’t getting younger and his life held little meaning. With stress at work and stress as a result of work, this was it. He would not, could not return to a regular job, regardless of the pay or opportunity for advancement. At the suggestion of friends, he began volunteering at the SoupMobile, an organization which has experienced exponential growth since its beginning in 2003. With 10,000 homeless in the Dallas area and only 2000 places where they could stay, he loved serving meals and communicating with the people. He saw an ad on Craigslist which advertised a part time job at a food pantry. He applied but didn’t get the job (over qualified probably).
In 2009 the Executive Director of the SoupMobile (The SoupMan) began to realize Lon’s passion and potential, asking him to lead the Christmas Angel Project, which housed 500 homeless people at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Dallas for Christmas. His superior project management skills and business acumen kicked into gear, just as his motorcycle does. The achievement proved much more satisfying than any line of code ever did. The SoupMan had no clue that Lon’s background includes a BS in Electronic Technology with a minor in Computer Science, along with Masters’ courses in Computer Science. He’s a technical whiz and the SoupMan recognized Lon could be valuable in countless ways, especially business development and helping more than a few dreams come to reality. Lon holds a full time executive role at the SoupMobile.
Is Lon happy? Absolutely! He commutes farther than ever and smiles all the way to and from work. He has truly found passion in his new career. When asked about his inspiration, his response may surprise you a bit. “I was drawn to this by God. I’m not smart enough to figure this out by myself. Let there be no mistake: leading volunteers is a little like herding cats. I never thought I’d write a grant with the accompanying elation when it was approved. There are highs and lows like any other job, but I truly feel I am following God’s plan.”
Are you feeling a nudge to move in a different direction? Remember, tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life. And if you simply want to donate or volunteer, it may change your life, too. Be sure to visit www.soupmobile.org.
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