Jim Rogers is staying young.
The 81-year-old, who describes himself as "three-quarters crazy and one-quarter plum crazy," lives at a faster pace than some of his peers.
His fountain of youth? Giving back to others.
This month's Jefferson Award winner spends his days at grocery stores, collecting food that mostly would be thrown out at the end of the day, and taking it to 28 charities.
"Doing this keeps me alive," Rogers said. "I don't want to just sit down and die."
Each month, the Jefferson Awards recognize someone who gives back to the community. At the end of the year, one winner will be chosen from the 12 to represent the Chattanooga area in a nationwide competition.
The volunteers at Christ's Chapel Share and Care Mission, a Catoosa County, Ga., mission that hands out food and clothes to the needy, nominated Rogers for the award.
"I believe that when Jim gets to heaven, he will truly hear the words, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.'" said Linda Petty, Christ's Chapel secretary.
Nothing keeps Rogers from delivering food, she said.
"No matter what the weather is, no matter what is going on, his little smiling face shows up to help us," she said.
Rogers gives time through the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, an organization that pairs people ages 55 and older with volunteer opportunities.
Program director Jayme Upton said federal funding helps reimburse Rogers for some of the gas and food costs.
Upton said Rogers has logged 1,308 volunteer hours in the past 12 months.
Rogers has been delivering food since 1999. He said many people think all he has to do is pick up food at one place and drop it off somewhere else.
But there's more to the work, he explained. The process also includes sorting the goods and even cooking some food.
"If we get a lot of pot roasts, sometimes we just take them home and cook them and then take that to the different places," Rogers said.
Still, he needs help from able-bodied volunteers.
"I've only got one man who helps me, and he's 83," Rogers said.