From Auxiliary Volunteers:

Fay Burns

Fay Burns has a giving heart that cherishes people. She also has a special calling that puts this special quality to good use each month through her role as a volunteer at East Alabama Medical Center. Typically devoting about 20 hours of her time, some of which is given to the Surgery Center, Burns helps check in and direct patients to where they need to go. All while offering a big smile that soothes worries and boosts comfort. “It gives me so much pleasure to be able to help the patients and their families,” said Burns, who has volunteered for over 11 years. “When you retire, you’re not working your 8-to-5 job anymore, and you just feel like you need to do something with your time.”

Judy Clark and John Pianowski

Judy Clark and her husband, John Pianowski, have volunteered for several years following their retirements. A familiar face in the Cancer Center, Clark helps make sure patients are comfortable, delivering snacks and refreshments when needed. “On their first visit, they’re often frightened on the first chemo treatment,” Clark said. “And I sort of feel responsible to help them with feeling that it was not a bad experience after all.”

Pianowski, too, aims to ensure patient comfort through his devotion to the hospital’s transport services. “Many patients who come into the hospital are injured or inform or aged, or otherwise incapacitated,” he said. “And we move them from point of entry to the point of service to make their experiences as comfortable as possible.” Encouraging others to give some of their time, Clark and Pianowski derive a sense of meaning through their volunteer experiences. “It’s personally rewarding to be of service to others, expecting nothing in return,” Clark said. Pianowski agreed, adding, “It’s part of giving back and assisting people who are in need of additional support. It’s the conditions that all of us are going to find ourselves in at some point in our lives.”

Billie Hubbard

“It’s so fulfilling when I render service; to share in making someone’s day happier. I count it as a blessing to be able to see a smile on someone’s face. It makes me smile too and it is well worth my day.”

College volunteer program (COV)

Collins Stutts

“My name is Collins Stutts; I am a senior at Auburn University majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with focus of Health Administration and Rural Sociology. During my first semester at Auburn, I began volunteering through Impact (the university volunteer program) by either stocking shelves at the food bank or by player bingo with the elderly at a local nursing home. I always enjoyed the feeling I had when I would leave these places because I felt I had made a difference I would not have made otherwise. My favorite part was always seeing the smile on someone’s face when they saw a volunteer walk through the door as it seemed to be something they were looking forward to the entire day.

I am planning to attend medical school therefore I needed to gain experience inside of a hospital. I was selected this past January to become a college volunteer at EAMC even though I was unsure if they would have a space for me to fill. EAMC not only had a spot for me in the emergency room but found other opportunities to gain more experience through volunteering.

A volunteer is defined as a person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task. In my short time at EAMC, I have had a hard time considering myself as a volunteer because of all that I have learned and the experiences I have gained. I have never felt more accepted and part of a team than I have at EAMC. I found everyone I have come in contact with to be friendly and willing to assist me in any manner they could. My tasks as a volunteer may seem unimportant to me at times but the staff has never expressed those feelings to me as they would thank me and tell me I was doing a good job.

EAMC is a wonderful venue to give back to the community that I will forever be indebted to from my time as a student. Every member of the staff I come into contact with has made me feel at home and given me encouragement to the job I am doing. I am very fortunate to have this experience and owe every member of the team a thank you for teaching, guiding, and inspiring me to work hard in my time as a volunteer. EAMC has many opportunities in several capacities where someone is able to volunteer. I encourage anyone who has any time to give EAMC a chance as the people you come in contact will have a greater impact on your life than you can find anywhere else.”