Non-profit leader earns award

CLOVIS - Two years ago, Craig Tatum decided he wanted to make Clovis a little cooler. Last week, the non-profit leader's efforts earned national recognition.

Tatum received the President's Volunteer Service Award for his work with Operation Cool Down, which helps families in need during extreme weather.

"Regardless of what people think about (President) Trump, I think it's an honor just coming from the White House itself," Tatum said. "Me being small as I am, born and raised in Clovis, to make something like that happen, it's an honor."

The award was founded in 2003 under an executive order by George W. Bush to recognize "the important role of volunteers in America's strength and national identity," according to its website.

The award has community service requirements that vary by age groups, and different levels of the award based on hours served within the year. In Tatum's age group, there is a lifetime achievement award for 4,000 hours in a year, Gold for more than 500, Silver for more than 250 and Bronze for more than 100.

While Tatum has dedicated over 600 hours this year to his organization, receiving the gold award was a surprise. He said John Williams, founder of Come On In Inc. in Colorado, called him about five months ago to say Operation Cool Down was unique and should be recognized through the VSA award.

Tatum tried not to think much about the call and went back to work. Then a few days ago Williams sent Tatum a picture of the award.

"I was like, "Whoa,"" he said. "I've received awards; I went to school on a track scholarship, I've competed with some of the best, so receiving awards I've kinda gotten immune to. But something like this, I'm lost for words. It's so rare that somebody would receive something like this."

Operation Cool Down began over two years ago after Tatum went to help family members in Hobbs whose air conditioner had broken.

"It was a long kind of boring drive from Hobbs back to Clovis," Tatum said, "(and) I just kind of made a promise to God that I would see to it - that I would do anything humanly possible to see that nobody else would have to go through what my parents had to go through. I came home, made the group up and it just blew up."

Operation Cool Down began as a group that provided air conditioners, bottled water, and fans during the summer. It soon expanded into Operation Warm and Cozy, which provides heaters and electric blankets in the winter.

Tatum said other non-profits in the area often refer people to him because of how active his organization has become.

"I took pride in that because we only go out for donations and I very seldom ask for any money. We pretty much just want people to actually go out and participate in helping out with the community," Tatum said. "It takes a different kind of person to actually get up and go to Walmart, or go to Big Lots, and actually go and purchase a heater, and go and purchase a fan or a case of bottle water. That's what brings the community together."

The Operation Cool Down Facebook page allows for assistance requests and provides an organization spot for donations, deliveries and fundraisers to fulfill those requests.

"You can only imagine some of the stuff I get asked for in my inbox," Tatum said. "If we have resources to help I usually try my best and darnedest ... I try to come through for them for whatever it is."

"There's been times I've been called at 3 o'clock or 4 o'clock in the morning because someone's kids need some food and whatever we have to do to make it happen we definitely try to make it happen."

While receiving this type of award is a validation of the work someone has already done, Tatum sees it as a sign to keep going.

"It really moved me, and actually it motivated me to start being more creative and finding out more ways that I can reach out to people and help them," Tatum said. "A lot of people have no idea what's going on in their same community. Unless you're out there on the grounds and in the field you have no idea what these people, and these elderly people, are actually going through. My first year, I really saw that, and then I just put the pedal to the metal and said, 'This is what I'm going to do.'"