More than 250,000 breakfasts served.
That's not the number credited to a fast food chain, that's thanks to 'Uncle' Bob Greenaway, who for the last 19 years has served breakfast at Duchess Park secondary school.
"I've been in the community doing this type of work for the last 31 years," said Greenaway, 63, executive director of Youth For Christ, Prince George branch. "But the breakfast program itself, 19 years. They just presented me with a plaque that says I've fed over a quarter of a million students."
During a typical breakfast, Greenaway would set out granola bars, muffins and cinnamon buns and an assortment of juices and the students would help themselves.
In 1983, Greenaway was asked to come to Prince George from Ontario and take over leadership of Youth For Christ, an international, non-profit, non-denominational Christian ministry impacting youth.
It was supposed to be a five-year commitment, he laughed.
Greenaway counsels youth, walks school halls during the lunch hour, is a speaker on all the tough subjects like drug and alcohol education, anti-bullying, honour and respect, and provides one-on-one for those who need some advice.
"The family structure is so fragmented today that the young people need somebody to hear them and to get advice to make the next positive decision," said Greenaway, who will be returning to Ontario later this summer.
Two and a half years ago, Greenaway was found on the floor at Kelly Road school where he usually walked the halls, keeping an eye on the students during the lunch hour. After some recovery time from major heart attack and bypass surgery, he continued his work dedicated to youth in Prince George.
To honour his extensive community service, Youth For Christ's board held a celebration last week, where MLA Shirley Bond spoke, along with several principals and members of the community, all expressing their gratitude to him.
"And it's just not me, it's my wife and my kids that have come to serve the community," said Greenaway. "Better to build a life than just make a living." One of his good friends said that to him many years ago and Greenaway believes those are words to live by.
"People are calling me crying because they heard I was leaving, so it's been a very emotional time for me right now," said Greenaway. "People say I'm retiring but I say I'm changing the spokes on the wheel - if I retired I would drive my wife crazy."
