“I feel like I’m doing something important,” says Jean Hart about her long-time volunteer job arranging flowers for the gift shop at Saint Joseph’s Hospital. “It makes me feel good to know I’m doing something to help others.”
Jean, who left her Sandy Springs condo and moved to St. George Village in December 2011, has kept her commitment to her volunteer work at the hospital, even though she has to drive a little further to get there now.
“I used to live only 10 minutes from the hospital, but I don’t mind making the longer drive from Roswell,” she says. “It’s a full day, but it’s a very pleasant day. It’s worth the trip.”
Jean’s favorite part of her job at the hospital is when someone comes into the gift shop and requests something special — a favorite flower or a special vase — that will make their family member feel better.
“When you can do something like that to help someone else feel good, it makes you feel good, too,” she says.
Bill Colombo, who also moved to SGV in 2011, volunteers at Saint Joseph’s as well. For the past 12 years, he has helped with transport, making sure that patients get to designated areas within the hospital for tests or helping them to their vehicles when they’re discharged and ready to go home.
Bill says what he enjoys most about the job is the interaction with patients and hospital staff. “I visit with the patients and get to see just about every part of the hospital on my days there,” he says. “And I know that I’m helping both patients and staff by doing this. It’s very rewarding.”
A former U.S. Army paratrooper who had a long career in sales, Bill feels that staying actively engaged with others is one of the keys to a fulfilling life.
Oh and in case you were wondering? Jean and Bill are also efficient volunteers — they work the same day at Saint Joseph’s each week, so they carpool!