ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A Pinellas County retiree has not slowed down when it comes to working.

And as a volunteer, Roy Whipp has helped a St. Petersburg non-profit make major and positive changes.

The lead volunteer at the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, Whipp’s group of volunteers is often called “Roy’s Packing Crew.”


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The clinic provides a great many services to the public including food distribution.

“We’re working on non-perishable goods,” Whipp said during a recent bay news 9 visit. “Cans, bottles, plastic containers. They put into boxes and today’s they’ll do about 800 of these boxes.”

And they do this twice a week.

A modest man who said he is just one of many volunteering, he said with price that “over the year that’s 400 tons of this food which goes out. that’s 20 tractor trailer’s full of food to be distributed to other people.”

Produce, grains and other items are also boxed on different days.

With numbers of food insecurity on the rise, the clinic’s “we help fresh pantry” serves over 30,000 individuals each month.

Whipp, who is a chemical engineer had a 40-year career leading huge engineering and construction site projects, many overseas, including in Venezuela.

He retired 12 years ago thinking the time had come to relax and enjoy life.

“That wasn’t possible, I needed to do something,” he said. “So I had the opportunity to come here and coordinate work which is being done in order to get food to people.”

St. Petersburg Free Clinic Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Yeagley said Whipp helped organize and revolutionize the way food is distributed.

“His capabilities for logistics is incredible,” Yeagley said. “But his heart for the mission is even more inspiring. He’s been here just over 10 years volunteering and if we didn’t have Roy we would probably have to hire two full-time people.”

Whipp volunteers there five days a week.

And his suggestion to those considering getting involved as a volunteer?

“I encourage people to do anything,” he said. “Not just food, but anything that can be done to help other people.”