In the past eight years Jim Utz has served, listened to and helped countless folks who stop by Grace House, a place of respite for the homeless in Davis.
On this particular day, the 70-year-old retired animal health technician recalled a homeless man who had turned his life around but died last year. "I thought of Alan this past week when the 49ers made it to the playoffs. He would have been busting at the seams because he was a huge 49er fan," Utz said. "We talked about football a lot."
Utz, who has lived in Davis since 1963, said he noticed the city's homeless but never interacted with them. As a member of the St. James Church, he said, "I thought once I retire, maybe I'll go down to Grace House and donate my time to give back to the community."
True to his word, Utz retired after 49 years at the UC Davis Primate Research Center, was trained to be a "minister of hospitality" and since 2003 has been at Grace House on Mondays feeding, helping and just listening to the guests.
"It's very rewarding to be able to get to know them, and it gives me a good feeling whenever I come down here to help out," Utz said. "Because you never know when you might be in a situation like that."
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