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‘Everyday Heroes’ in Jackson County named for 2022 By Vickie Aldous Updated: Dec 13, 2022 03:05 PM A A 3 View all photos Barbara Meredith leads a ukulele class Monday with seniors at Bonaventure of Medford retirement community. [Jamie Lusch / Mail Tribune] Barbara Meredith’s desire to learn after she retired from being a kindergarten teacher eventually led her to become an entirely different kind of teacher — a tai chi, fall prevention and ukulele instructor for adults. “When I retired, I decided to take every class at the YMCA. I took tai chi and fell in love with it,” said Meredith, a member of Rogue Valley Family YMCA in downtown Medford. Meredith grew from a tai chi student into a teacher. With its focus on gentle movements and balance, she said, tai chi is a great form of exercise for senior citizens. When the national YMCA system wanted to launch a fall prevention program, they tapped Meredith as one of eight instructors to learn fall prevention techniques, then train other YMCA instructors on the program and teach classes. She branched out to teach fall prevention at local retirement communities. A class member mentioned ukulele, and soon Meredith was learning to play the cheerful, diminutive instrument. She performed with a ukulele group at retirement communities, where the retirees knew her as their fall prevention teacher. “A person from my fall prevention class said, ‘Why aren’t you teaching us to play the ukulele?’” Meredith recalled. Before long, she was teaching fall prevention, tai chi and ukulele. Seniors at Bonaventure retirement community take a ukulele class Monday. [Jamie Lusch / Mail Tribune] For those efforts, Meredith was named one of seven Everyday Heroes for 2022 by United Way of Jackson County. The mix of heroes teach, help people recovering from the destructive 2020 wildfire season, work with special needs kids and their families and help people fighting addiction to find housing. Meredith said being named an Everyday Hero came as a complete surprise. She received a package in the mail from United Way that included a letter announcing the award. “I’m just so honored. I put it up on my wall, and I look at it every day. It makes me feel so good,” she said. Marlene Riegel participates in a ukulele class for seniors at Bonaventure of Medford retirement community on Monday. [Jamie Lusch / Mail Tribune] Meredith said lots of people help her with the various classes. She’s been handing over the reins of the tai chi class to another instructor, but she still substitute teaches. Together, Meredith and her team create opportunities for seniors to learn new skills and connect with others. “It’s harder to make friends as an older person,” she said. “I’m pleased I and others who help me have created spaces for people to come and do ukulele and tai chi. They make friends that way. It’s socializing. Both things are really fun. I’m not terribly great at either one. But it doesn’t matter.” The other winners of the 2022 Everyday Hero awards are: Cass Cornwell, a zone captain in wildfire recovery efforts and a fire survivor, herself, who works to help other fire survivors Frank Kukla, a volunteer facilitator of reading and math groups at Ruch Outdoor Community School Tiffanie Lambert of Phoenix-Talent School District for her efforts to help families and students who survived the 2020 fires Inga Leed of Jackson County Early Intervention Services for her work with children and families facing difficult diagnoses, and for her volunteer efforts for Oasis Center of the Rogue Valley that helps families dealing with substance use disorder Jackson County Sheriff’s Office deputy Neftali Mateos, who also is an assistant pastor at his church, for his efforts to help people fighting addiction who need housing Steve Sparks of Harry & David, who picks up and delivers donations to fire survivors, especially heavy, awkward items like furniture United Way of Jackson County launched the Everyday Hero awards in 2021 with support from the Joe & Frances Naumes Foundation. The award was inspired after Sue Naumes was recognized by St. Vincent de Paul and she wanted to see folks celebrated who do great things every day, according to United Way of Jackson County. Reach Mail Tribune reporter Vickie Aldous at 541-776-4486 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @VickieAldous.