Service is a lifelong commitment for retired colonel Paul Dietrich. He volunteers at the Blue Star Families’ food pantry at Fort Wadsworth. The pantry serves more than 150 families per service day.

“It’s good to see that we are taking care of our veterans and our active duty people,” Dietrich said.

Dietrich’s life of service started in 1975 when he joined the U.S. Army reserves. He was stationed, among other places, in South Korea and a war-torn Iraq.

“I have a lot of military and my family background [goes] all the way back to the Revolutionary War,” Dietrich said.

But it was his time in Germany in the 1980s that taught him about food insecurity in the armed services community. He would often advise soldiers to not bring their families for those long tours because it would be difficult to provide for them in the tough economy.

“To me, this was insane,” Dietrich said. “I can’t understand that you can serve your country and you can’t feed your kids. How does that make sense?”

The Travis native visits a few times a month, making sure that sailors and soldiers and veterans have food on the table, and it doesn’t end there.

Dietrich hosts a show on the community media of Staten Island about veterans affairs. He serves on the city’s Veterans Advisory Council representing Staten Island.

The colonel also opens and prepares his local American Legion for veterans chair yoga each week.

“It’s a very good stress reduction,” Dietrich said about the meditative practice. “And it’s also very good to keep our bodies moving.”

It’s a service to others who have risked their lives.

“They gave a lot for this country and I think we should give them something back.”

For always being present for the nation, and the city’s veterans, Paul Dietrich is our New Yorker of the Week.