VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — In a heartfelt surprise ceremony held at Coastal Community Church in the Glenwood section of Virginia Beach, Dave Painter, a retired Virginia Beach police officer, was honored as the latest News 3 Everyday Hero.
Painter volunteers regularly at the church's food pantry, and those close to him say they're grateful for his reliability and selflessness.
"He's the kind of guy that's behind the scenes, doesn't want recognition. Every job he has, he's just behind the scenes working, but if you need him, he's there," Donna Brooks, a member of Coastal Community Church, said.
His wife, Arleen Painter, says he's been volunteering at the church for over a decade now.
"He retired 12 years ago, almost, and after he retired, he started working at the food pantry within a few months and he's been volunteering ever since," she shared.
He also donates blood regularly, something Arleen says he's been doing since his college days.
Painter says he believes there's tremendous value in donating regularly, saying, "I just like helping people... and they do send you a text message to let you know your blood has been given to this person or that person—it makes you feel good."
As part of the ruse to keep Painter unaware of the true purpose of WTKR News 3's visit, we pretended we were just doing a story on the food pantry operations.
I rallied some other church staffers to be a part of the surprise right as Dave was preparing to donate blood at a Red Cross drive at the church. We presented him with a News 3 Everyday Hero award, along with a $300 Visa gift card from our community partner, Southern Bank.
To watch the moment we surprised Dave, watch the video in the player above!
