Offering prayers

April is Volunteer Month. All month, our wonderful cancer volunteers will share why they give of themselves, in their own words.

I have been a volunteer in Oncology at the Bergan Mercy Medical Center for almost four years. At first I was on the floor, keeping refreshments stocked for family and friends visiting our patients. Sometimes I would visit with patients, bringing them warmed blankets. I always offered an ear to listen if the patient needed to talk. During the transition of the new Pavilion, I was asked to help in Cancer Registry and I am still in that office today, as well as volunteering in the Genetics office. I also participate as often as I can in their blood drives.

Even though I no longer have direct contact with patients, with each name I read, as often as I can, I quietly acknowledge them and their families and their situation in a prayer. I volunteer because I meet new people and it is beneficial for me to do something for the good of others, expecting nothing in return.

- Patty Doyle