22 Sep Volunteer Highlight: Shirley and Gretchen

Shirley has been volunteering in the Family Room for over 25 years, and her friend Gretchen has been volunteering for 20 years. Their friendship began when they lived in West Virginia, and it was Shirley who first inspired Gretchen to volunteer with the House.

When they first started, they had different schedules: Shirley volunteered at night after work, and Gretchen volunteered on Mondays during the day. They both said their favorite part of volunteering was watching the siblings of patients and providing coffee and snacks for the families.

After COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, an opportunity became available for them to volunteer together on Tuesday mornings. They really enjoy being able to help families side-by-side.

Shirley and Gretchen help with the Lunches with Love program by meeting the van driver and putting the lunches out for the families. They make sure everyone knows that hot meals are available in the Family Room.

Their favorite part of volunteering is interacting with the families. They feel they are making a difference by helping them have a place to relax and get something to eat.