Pay It Forward: Pat Coots of Millbrook
Pat Coots volunteers his time to help out at his church whether it’s driving a church bus or sweeping the floors.
“It’s worth it. I can clean toilets, take out trash. I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ll drive that bus. Whatever he asked me to do, we’re gonna do it,” said Coots.
He was nominated by Daniel Todd who writes, “Pat is a one in a million volunteer. Pat drives a church bus and picks up local impoverished kids on Sundays and provides them a meal prior to church starting. Also, he helps Grandview Pines Baptist Church’s pastor daily on any task. Weekly he goes out to share the love of Jesus with the Millbrook, Deatsville, and Prattville communities.”
When our team arrived to surprise him with the pay it forward award, Coots was at the church sweeping the floors.
For Coots, it’s not about the recognition. In fact, he would rather remain behind the scenes.
“You see people all the time, famous people, that step forward and do stuff. But it starts with a little guy. If you don’t have the little guy like the guy that takes out the trash, picks up the trash in the streets, and the dentist– people that ain’t famous– that’s who does the real work. You can get on TV and do a lot of things, say a lot of things, but it’s the little people. And if I can do little things to keep my pastor from having to do it or my pastor’s wife, and they can do what they are meant to do and that’s tell people about Jesus, I don’t mind being the little guy,” said Coots.
Even though he sees himself as little, everyone around him knows he’s making a big difference.
