Help Network leader in Youngstown to retire after 34 years

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Bob Altman says he never imagined that his volunteering gig would lead to a long, rewarding career.

Altman, director of Shelter and Support Services at the Help Network, will retire Dec. 20.

Reflecting on the past 34 years with the organization, he is grateful for what that volunteering gig led to.

“I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else – nowhere else would be as rewarding,” he said. “To me, it’s not about the money. It’s about liking what you do. I’m blessed to have been here for this length of time and to watch it continue to grow.”

Altman started at the Help Network – at that time it was the Help Hotline – in 1983 as a volunteer, talking to people who needed connected to resources for mental health and addiction problems. He had been laid off from another job for two years.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.