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She remembers calling him at £ a.m. to talk with a man who was prepared to commit suicide. She had been working with his wife, and felt that this problem was beyond her abilities.
‘This was a person who had never gone to church. It was one of the coldest nights I can remember; It was just a human being out there. Jenks didn’t go as a minister; he went as Jenks,” she said.
“I can remember a couple of suicide runs he’s made,” Mr. Shankel added. “These things never happen in the early evening; it’s always the wee hours.”
“Our church doesn’t pay him to do suicide intervention with nom members,” Mrs. Shankel said. “He just does it. It’s one of the most unpleasant chores you can be in on, un-i less it’s cleaning up after a suicide, and he’s been in on that too. ”
“Some things are on a lighter note,” Mr. Shankel added. “He’s picked up people stranded out in the boonies, even across state lines. He’s very self-sacrificing in that, but it does take him away from his family-”
“I’m the one who killed his Volkswagon,” Mrs. Shankel added. He let her use it to commute to nursing school at Germanna Community College after her car had broken down twice. “If he hadn’t done that I wouldn’t be making the money I am. He’s the kind of guy who helps you enough so you can help yourself.”
Mr. Shankel agreed, saying over the years the Rev. Hobson has learned how to give that kind of help. “It’s like you teach a guy to fish instead of giving him a fish,” he said. "He tends to go to great lengths td understand special needs of people and special difficulties. He’s interested enough to do research, get counsel, and involve himself so he can be more productive.”
Mrs. Shankel said one time the Rev. Hobson asked her to sort through his files while he was on vacation. “Everybody in the church knew he was away, but still the phone rang non-stop and people kept dropping by,” she said.
She said that was also the timg she learned about all the many organizations he was involved with. “It was incredible,” she said.
The Shankels know that there have been times when the vestry at Trinity has asked the Rev. Hobson to get off some board in order to have more time for the congregation. “He will, but he sends others to take his place,” Mr. Shankel said. “The man is genuinely concerned about his fellow man.”
He said that although the Rev. Hobson is an Episcopal priest “he’s not very denominational. He’s concerned about your personal relationship with God.”
Social worker Nancy Reevf agreed. “He’s one of the people wg call on for emergency funds to helg people through a particular immedti ate problem,” she said. “He’s alsfl someone we call on to help find g particular item like a bed or refrigei* ator and someone we recommend people talk to when they have S problem.” 2
“He’s a resource, or he can toucj] resources,” she added. “He’s a probj lem solver and a grand choice fov Citizen of the Year. ” 2
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