Jim Noe routinely deflects praise, but the results of a lifetime of volunteerism in Contra Costa County speak for him far more effectively.
Noe’s spirit has completely transformed at least one life — the Vietnamese refugee who flourished in America after Noe adopted him — and affected countless others, including the needy who have received food and medical treatment because of his efforts.
He has spent nearly a quarter-century providing that spirit for St. Vincent de Paul of Contra Costa County, a nonprofit that provides aid to those in poverty. Those who know him well say that if ever a spirit was to be shared, this would be the one.
“A beautiful life he’s given me,” Thien Nguyen says.
“A man whose work has touched thousands and thousands of lives” is how Barbara Hunt, development director of St. Vincent de Paul, puts it.