About Sam Job
Sam Job was nominated by Chotsie Bickerstaff of Retirement Education Partners.
Mr. Job is a hometown hero who never tires of doing good for his community. He is always looking for ways to make a difference in the lives of those around him! If you ask anyone in the community about him, they will describe him with a smile on their face! He's a loveable man with a quick wit, a lot of wisdom, a huge heart, and a get-done attitude! Mr. Job is part of the Lake Rayburn Fire Department and has been a pillar in the Lake Rayburn community for over 42 years. He always goes above and beyond for those of us who live in his community. As you can imagine, the amount of projects where he has helped the community is far too long to list, but here are a few of the initiatives that Sam has led that have positively impacted the people of Rayburn and surrounding areas:
- He has served as President of the Jasper County Emergency District for 20+ years.
- He has been a Fireman and served as President of the Lake Rayburn Fire Department for 35+ years.
- He leads the Annual Fire Department Chili Supper fundraiser, where funds are raised each year for the fire department's life-saving equipment, emergency response transportation, and tools. The entire community gathers to rally around the Fire Department. Each year, thousands of dollars are raised from this one fundraiser. It takes a team to pull this off, but it also takes a mighty leader like Mr. Job! Several years ago, the Department was able to purchase a new fire pumper truck as a result of the fundraiser. Learn more.
- He and his former wife initiated the "Thomas Job Memorial Scholarship," which was started in memory of his son Thomas Job, who passed away from cancer in 2003. Over the last 20 years, proceeds from the Thomas Job Memorial Scholarship charity golf tournament have provided more than $200,000 to area high school students. Sam has a heart for helping young people believe in themselves and accomplish things they could otherwise not. Learn more about the scholarship here.
- He has headed drives for community member supplies.
- He personally donated a pontoon boat for the emergency rescue of individuals from Lake Rayburn and was quoted in a news article as saying, "We would have at least one drowning per year out here. Some people may say, 'Why do we need a fancy boat for one drowning a year?' Well, it is not a lot of numbers, but if you are the family of the one drowning guy who does drown, it means a little bit more to you." Check out this artlce to learn more about the boat.
- He has mentored members of the community in many ways. One, in particular, has been serving as a voluntary Little League Baseball Coach for 40 years, including the 2023 Jasper Little League.
- As part of his leadership in his church, he leads the men's group.
- He has partnered with local nonprofit organizations, such as the local food bank, ensuring families do not go hungry. He is also a Board Member for the Greater Jasper SHARE Food Bank, including volunteering weekly to personally distribute supplies.
- He has been acknowledged as an exceptional community member.
- He has been elected as a Board Member of the Jasper Hospital District. Check out his statement seeking election here.
- He won Small Business of the Year in 2014 from the Jasper-Lake Rayburn Chamber of Commerce for his leadership of Rayburn Realty, Inc. for 42 years.
- He visits the nursing home regularly to visit shut-ins and the elderly as part of his role with the church.
- He dresses up as Santa for Christmas and attends any event to which he is invited! He loves spreading joy and making people in the community smile.
"While I understand that behind every great hero is a team of heroes, I am honored to nominate Sam as a Do Good Hero," said Bickerstaff. "He is so deserving of such an honor. I wish this world had many more 'Sams' in it. I have seen Sam help people in the community by providing them with a place to stay after their home has burned. I have firsthand knowledge of how heroic Sam and his team are. He is a humble man, and this nomination will likely make him uncomfortable because he gives to the community out of love, not recognition. I am ok with Sam being uncomfortable in this situation because I firmly believe that Sam needs to know how much we, the community, love and care for him and how much we appreciate who he is!"
