Volunteers give back, serve others

vol·un·teer
1. a person who voluntarily offers himself or herself for a service or undertaking.
2. a person who performs a service willingly and without pay.

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Our volunteers are this and so much more.

The 450+ members of our community who dedicate their time and energy to assisting our patients, their families, and our staff at Elkhart General and Memorial Hospital are an integral part of our health system.

To describe them in broad brush strokes, these are people who want to help others, who want to give back to a hospital and community that has given them so much.

Ask them why they became volunteers, and most will say they wanted to make a difference, they wanted to help change lives.

Ask them why they stay with the hospital, sometimes for decades, and our volunteers will describe how their work with our patients and their families has changed their lives. 

This week is National Volunteer Week, the time each year when we celebrate and show appreciation to our volunteers.

We are featuring our volunteers — husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, siblings, and many others — in stories right here on The BEAM from Elkhart General and Memorial Hospital. 

We’ll also post new stories EVERY DAY this week on our Beacon Facebook page. Our volunteers share the reasons they help others, as well as special moments at our hospitals. So we hope you will like and share these stories on social media.

And when you see a Beacon volunteer this week, please express your gratitude, tell them thanks, and let them know how much they are appreciated!

A
Emily Abramczyk
Julian “Jules” Alutto
Sandra “Sandy” Amouri
Caroline Andert
William Andert
Marium Ansari
Sonya Ansari
Bonnie AsburyRose Ashe
Judith Atkinson
Sally Atuan
Karen Aupperie

B
Patricia Badur
Dale Baker
Meridith Balbach
Elizabeth Bannon
Ann M. Bartels
Rachel Bartnett
Manju Basu
Nick Battis
Geneva “Gena” Baumberger
Harvey Becker
Judy Beckwith
Rachel Belans
Sarah Belisle
Arloa Bell
Kody Bernhard
Pamela Bernhard
Larry Biesbrouck
Ryan Bigej
Theodore Bjork
Pam Blankenbaker
Beverly Bogunia
Kalyn Borger
Betty Borlik
Ed Borlik
Paul Borowski
Ricardo Boschetti
Kathryn Bowyer
Natalie Boyce
George Brenner
Jack Brogan
Finn Brogan
Amber Brown
Alexander Brundage
KC Buder
Jack Burkett
Jennifer “Jenn” Burks
Nicole Butler

C
Annette Cai
Frank Calabrese
Lois Call
Mark Campbell
Patrick Campbell
Antoinette Carter
Joyce Casselman
Christine Caudill
Ilarae Caudill
Anissa Cervantes
Sandra Chabera
Diane Chaffee
Delbert Chupp
Janice Chupp
Natasha Cigarroa
Roxanne Clancy
Ronald “Ron” Clauser
Samantha Clauser
Luanne Combs
Mary Conklin
Meghan Conroy
Pat Cook
Clara Costello
Roxie Costello
Janice “Jan” Crocker
Brian Crowley
Stephanie Cukrowicz

D
Gena Darling
Christopher “Scott” Darnold
Jan Davenport
Mary Dawson
Catherine Davis
Paul Robert Davis
Theodore Dawes
Pam Decker
Annalise DeMarco
Stanley Dennison
George Desmarais
Chris Dethlefs
Allyson Dewey
Emily Dollinger
Megan Drolet
Sarah Duehren
Carol Duszynski

E
Valorie Eads
Gunner Eads
Kimberly “Sharon” Elumelu
Breana Enyeart
Diana Evans
Jan Evers

F
Deb Farmer
Ed Farmer
Holly Farmer
Marge Farr
Sangi Farr
Richard Felli
Shirley Ferency
Helen Fields
Colleen Finchum
Cherie Fish
Nate V. Fisher
Peggy Fisher
Lois Romero Flynn
Alaina Focosi
Judith Fodroczi
Ron Foeckler
Douglas Fordyce
Marjorie Fordyce
Julia Forte
Steven Forte
Joan Fox
Amy Fraser
Christian Frederickson
Judi A. Freshour
Susan Fron

G
Jocelyn Gaona
Shirley Garner
Katelynn Gates
Rebecca “Becca” Georgiadis
Allan Gerber
Karen Gerber
Rachel Glein
Dori Gosz
Kara Gouwens
Leah Gouwens
Frances Graber
Tom Graber
Miki Grant
Ann Greenawalt
Marcia Griffen
Carol Griggs
Natasha Grove
Rachel Gula

H
Loren Hackman
Madeline Halama
Kay Hall
Jeanette Hamel
Trixie Hamel
Tina Hanig
Lorraine Hansen
Betty Harris
Bonnie Hart
Claire Hartman
Taylor Hartman
Carol Heineman
Kathleen Heinrich
Joyce Heiss
Bob Herrold
James Hill
Annette Hirl
Angelica Hocter
Margaret Hodan
Judy Hopper
Theresa Horn
Heather Horvath
John Horvath
Zeinab Housseini
Don Huff
Allison Hunsberger
Joan Francis Hurley

I
Linda Iavagnilio
Camille Ibay
Ann Iverson

J
Walter “Walt” Jackson
John Jenkins
Norman Jin
Mary Johnson Addis
Denise Johnson
Harvey Johnson
Rachel Johnson
Valerie Johnson
Delores Jones
Jeffonia Jones

K
Joan Kaizer
Cheryl Kambs
Bob Kapiszka
Elena Karaszewski
Ashley Kasuri
Harlan Katz
Anthony Kavanagh
Fezaan Kazi
Hasaan Kazi
Carol Keckley
Kaitlyn Keffler
Becky Kiefer
Bettye Kilburn
Bruce Klonowski
Cheri Kopczynski
Jane Kopp
Mary Ann Kenkel
Abigail Kerschner
Joohye “Grace” Kim
Gail Kimble
Candie King
Jacqueline Kirsch
Sojung “Katherine” Koh
Mary Kozinski
Danielle Kneller
Natalie Krapcho
Nancy Krezel
James Krezel
David Kronenberger
Carol Kuhns
Carolyn Kull
Elizabeth Kuntz
Gail Kusmiez

L
Ike Laffin
Linda K. Laffin
Anne LaFree
Patricia Laing
Vanessa Lamoretti
Doug Lane
Elizabeth “Ellie” Lawler
Mary Lawrence
Diane Lee
Kristine Lee
Kyle Lendel
Peg Leonardo
Judy Lewis
Margaret Lightner
Susan Lilly
Patrick Link
Daniel Lipa
Mary Clare Lipa
Joanna Little
Karen Litwiller
Richard Litwiller
Dale Love
Thomas “Tom” Lucido
Anthony Luna
Carol Luse
Patti Lutz

M
Richard Mah
Carole Mahler
Melvin Mahler
Orry Marciano
Gary Marcus
Myrna Marcus
Gifty Marfowaa
Mario Markho
Larry Marosz
Mary Martin
Rosemarie Martin
Alexis Mast
Bonnie Master
Megan McCabe
Trudy McDowell
Sara McGee
Karen McKibbin
Mary McMann
Bridget Meyers
Christine Mihail
Lauren Milac
Shirley Milcherska
Lynn Miller
Norma Miller
Arwa Mohammad
Marsha Monroe
Dick Moore
Nyla Moore 
Cruz Moreno
Hannah Morris
Susie Morris
Renata Moyer
Daniel “Dan” Moylan
Sharon Sue Mullett
Sydney Mulqueen
Charles Mwale
Argus Myers
Linda Myers

N
Sharon-Rose Nartey
Susan Nemeth
Karen Newland
Howie Nimtz
Richard Nimtz
Skylar Norris
Jeff Nosek

O
Mike O’Dea
Pauline O’Hern-Fraiser
Destiney O’Konski
Donald Oakes
Albert Oh
Luke Onken
Marilla Opra
Ann Overton

P
MacKenzie Pairitz
Melinda Pairitz
Larry Pappas
Becca Parmenter
Sang “Jun” Park
Mary Parmley
Abigail Parsons
Mary Parsons
Pi Parsons
Jo Patterson
Rita Peat
Karen Perry
Mary Peters
John Petersen
Susan Pettit
Savannah Pfeffer
Rich Pipher
Rita Porsche
Pamela “Pam” Porter
Connor Powers
Ryan Powers
Carol Praklet
Diana Price-Jaworski
Steven Prince
Andrea Przybyla
Sherrie Putman
Janice Putz

R
Ximena Ramirez
Makaila Ranges
Janet Reed
Suzanne Reinhold
Carolyn Rice
Jeri Reed-Rider
Ann Riley
Pat Robertson
Tom Robertson
Trent Robinett
Molly Robinson
Lorena Rodriguez
Maggie Roe
Benjamin “Ben” Rose
Chance Rose
Flora Rose
Nick Rossiter
Teresa Roth
Carol Ruff
Carol Rupert
Mary Ryan

S
Eric Sah
Blanche Sailor
Pam Sandy
Rita Sarafin
Judy Sassaman
Brian Sayles
Ryan Schaffler
Kaye Scheetz
Enid Schmitt
Sandi Schohl
Laurel Schreier
Phyllis Schuelke
Megan Schutzen
Julie Schwartz
Barbara Scott
Ryan Seay
Martha Selle
Steven Serafino
Audrey Shaffer
Mary Ellen Shamory
Caysie Shaw
Fox Sheppard

Teresa Sheppard
Cheryl Shoemaker
Kay Siade
Carl Siedenstrang
Diva Siedenstrang
Giorgio Siedenstrang
Melissa Siedenstrang
Selene Siedenstrang
Donald Sieg
Pam Sieg
Barbara Simon
Dorothy Simon
Linda Simpson
William Sinon
Harriet Sloop
Faye Slucki
Don Smith
Elizabeth “Liz” Smith
Linda Smous
Luke Smous
Leonard Snyder
Michael Sokolowski
Marsha Stackhouse
Kenneth Stankiewicz
Cherryl Stauffer
Pam Stigall
Jeannette Stinchcomb
Darlene Stiver
Kara Strang
Erin Sullivan
Margaret Sullivan
Richard Sullivan
Thomas Sullivan
Edna Swartz
Richard Sweetser
Terry Szymanski

T
Richard Takach
Rachelle Tatich
Karen Taylor
Karin Taylor
Doe Terlep
Brian Thomas
Tracy Thornton
Beth Tierney
Diana Timmons
Annabelle Tinberg
Pat Toby
Marcine Todd
Tiffany Toni
Diana Torok
Carol Toussaint
Margaret Treesh
Phyllis Trippel
Arlen Troup
Shirley Troup
Jill Trout
Debra Trovatore
Jan Tyson

U
John Underwood
AdamUppendahl

V
Lorraine Vargo
Mary Ann Violette

W
Zachary Walker
Sarah Watson
Andrew Weigman
Delaney Weiland
Elaine Weingart
Jacqueline Weinrich
Mary Weinzeti
Judy Weldy
Phid Wells
Wade Wenger
Kelly Wentland
Mary Lee Wessels
Nancy Whipple
Kelly White
Sarah Whitmer
William “Will” Whitmire
Sarah Whitmer
Ann Wierzbicki
Dan Wierzbicki
Logan Willems
Patricia Willems
Mary Williams
Michael Williams
Ellen Wilson
Fran Wilson
Chelsea Winfield
Joann Wiseman
Amanda Wolfinger
Jerry Wood
Sandi Woods
Maya Wright

Y
Madeleine Yemc
Ellen Yoder
Patrick Yoder
Xin Yi “Cindi” Yu

Z
Terenia Zawisza
Beverly Zeiger