By Sarah Opdahl

New Fairfield resident Joe Simons has an astonishing volunteer record, so it is no surprise that the Town’s Commission on the Aging would choose him as the Outstanding Senior of the Year  for 2025, for which he was honored at a ceremony on Friday, May 30. Though his successful career was centered on IBM, Joe’s tremendous volunteer efforts, for the past four decades, were focused on serving as a dedicated advocate for unhoused people.

Seen as a no-fuss person, who has a deep well of compassion, Joe, beginning in 1985, was a regular at the Dorothy Day Hospitality House in Danbury, staying overnight to supervise when it was a full-time shelter. Though the mission has changed over the years and Dorothy Day only provides meals now, Joe continues to serve, coordinating meals once a month. Commission on the Aging Chair Maureen Salerno observed, “Joe Simons is a humble, low-key, wonder who has changed the world for the homeless population without many of us even noticing.”

In a proclamation by First Selectman Melissa Lindsey, Joe is applauded for his “work with the homeless [which] led him to be a founding member of the organization called OFF THE STREETS.” Serving as both Chairman of the Board and the Treasurer, Joe is proud that the organization has become a valuable resource for social services offices and the greater charity network. Their work results in providing security deposits and then furniture for the unhoused. Amazingly, the organization is growing in leaps and bounds, and they have not only helped 800 people in the area, but they are now present in ten countries and have  provided aid to over 10,000 people.

Locally, Joe is a driver for FISH (Friends in Service Here), which is a group of volunteers who help by providing free transportation to medical and dental appointments, and some non-medical transportation, for people in need. He has also contributed greatly to Rebel Cares and the Home Front Project, which is a home repair program providing high-quality, complimentary projects to low-income homeowners. This program often results in helping people to remain in their homes with an improved quality of life.

A parishioner of St. Edwards, Joe is a member of the Knights of Columbus and a past Grand Knight. Commission on the Aging member Kathy Hull said, “I have heard Joe described by many as a quiet force who puts his faith into action on a daily basis. This is certainly what I have seen to be true.”