By Mindy Rubenstein, Times Correspondent
Friday, January 21, 2011
Retired CPA Barry Poppel spends his free time volunteering for charitable causes. Poppel helped start a “Cook for Kids” program, which provides homemade meals to kids at Pasco’s RAP House.
Barry Poppel devotes much of his retirement to helping others in need: preparing tax returns for low-income families, making home-cooked meals for runaways, and installing clean drinking water and sanitation systems in developing countries.
His inspiration, he says, came from his son Joshua, an avid water conservationist and bicyclist who does cross-country rides to raise money for causes.
"He is somewhat of a tree hugger," said Poppel, 62.
A shoot-from-the-hip CPA, Poppel had a different outlook than his son. But over time, with prodding, he began to see things differently — beginning with the need for clean, safe water.
"He (Joshua) has been extremely concerned from a very young age about ...