No Act of Kindness is Ever Wasted: A RSVP Volunteer’s Story of a Cherished Memory
Twila Geiger is a mother of four children and a grandmother of nine. She has always loved babies and used to say, “Someday I am going to go rock those babies in the hospital.” After retirement, Twila pursued her mission and enrolled with the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) which provided her the opportunity to volunteer at the St. Cloud Hospital. Each Monday, Twila volunteers in the Family Birthing Center and on Thursdays she offers a helping hand in the Hospital Gift Shop.
Volunteering gives Twila the sense of purpose she had while raising her family. She feels that the ability to give and share with others is rewarding - even in the smallest way. She loves her time with the babies and says, “It’s a joy to be in their lives for a short time and be able to help out.”
One of Twila’s most memorable volunteer moments was experienced while she was volunteering at the Hospital Gift Shop. An older woman, who was in a wheelchair, entered the gift shop. The customer explained to Twila that it was her 61st wedding anniversary with her husband. The customer shared that every year her husband buys her red roses on their anniversary. However, this year, being that her husband was a patient in the hospital, the customer wanted to buy him red roses instead. Twila assisted the woman with selecting and purchasing the roses. Then, Twila offered to walk with the customer to her husband’s room to carry the red roses. Twila entered the room with the woman and watched silently as she approached her husband’s bed side, handed him the red roses, and sweetly said, “Hello sweetheart, happy anniversary - here are the roses.”
While reminiscing about the experience, Twila stated “She [the customer] would have struggled going up there with all her bags. It was just a little thing and I got more out of it than anything. I felt like I was meant to see that.” As a volunteer, moments like these are unforgettable and they are the reason why Twila loves volunteering. Because no act of kindness, no matter how small it is, is ever wasted.
The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is proud to support nearly 100 volunteers serving at the St. Cloud Hospital and CentraCare Health Plaza. RSVP is seeking additional volunteers that would like to make a difference in patient’s lives within the CentraCare Health System. To learn more about becoming an RSVP volunteer, please contact the RSVP office at (320) 255-7295 or visit http://ci.stcloud.mn.us/RSVP.
-Jacquie Willis