Envida employee retires after driving to 'the moon and back'
Nov 13, 2024
(COLORADO SPRINGS)-- A Colorado Springs nonprofit is celebrating the retirement of a man who has driven 1.3 million miles, transporting older adults with disabilities and people with financial challenges throughout out El Paso County.
Not many people can say that they have driven to the moon and back--completing 93,000 trips and helping more than 750 people, and on Wednesday, he turned in his keys for the last time.
Tim Blom has been driving people in need for nearly 35 years, helping others live full lives.
"I just want to change people's lives in a positive way, a lot of people are homebound, no transportation or anything," he said.
He's driven 1.3 million miles while on the job and has helped hundreds of people with disabilities and older adults.
"My passengers are always glad to see me," he said.
He said his goal has always been to help others.
"A kid will stop and hold the door for you, then if it was an adult in front of you, they just rush through it just forget about you, and that's just people nowadays, and it's sad," said Blom.
He said the only rule on his bus is to be kind.
"Well, everybody has a good days and bad days. Might pick them up one day, and I'd be happy to pick them up the next day, and they're mad or sad."
He has driven all over Colorado Springs and watched the city and the number of passengers grow.
"I've taken them to doctor's appointments, taken them the schools, kids and all that, for colleges. I've taken them off to the mall, to movies. I even took a couple of ladies to the laundromat."
Now he's letting someone else take the wheel, and added his best advice is to be patient.
"Learn to have patience. Patience is very good. Treat everybody with respect and you'll get the respect back."
In his retirement, he plans to go fishing and, in his words, "try not to go to jail."