National Volunteer Week April 18th-24th
National Volunteer Week was established by Presidential Proclamation in 1974 to highlight the various opportunities available for those interested in volunteering. Each year, Hilltop shines a spotlight on the volunteers who lend their time, talent, and voice to make a difference in our programs. Below are a handful of outstanding volunteers that we would like to recognize by sharing their stories.
Calvin Anthony
Life Adjustment Program Spiritual Care Volunteer
Calvin has been an important part of the Life Adjustment Program (LAP) for 32 years. He provides our residents with the opportunity to explore their spiritual interest without leaving campus.
When COVID-19 restrictions prevented visitors and volunteers coming on campus, our residents who looked forward to seeing Calvin every week were impacted the most. Fortunately, Calvin is now able to resume in person services on campus once more.
“The looks of joy on our residents’ faces when they saw Calvin in person for the first time since COVID began was so heartwarming. His presence on campus was truly missed. Throughout this whole COVID process, Calvin has been so kind, patience, resilient and flexible. We are truly blessed to have Calvin be a part of our program,” shares Angie Wickersham, Director of LAP.
Carrie Gumber
Cottage Meal Delivery Volunteer
Carrie has been a volunteer with Hilltop since October of 2020. She helps to deliver meals to the Cottage residents of the Commons and Fountains. She is very flexible and picks up any shift that is open and in need of a volunteer to fill. It is not uncommon to see her delivering meals three or more times a week when needed. She is both a reliable and dedicated volunteer who is truly making a difference in the lives of our residents with her presence.
“She has such a fun personality and brings so much joy to our residents. Our residents do not get out much because of COVID so seeing delivery volunteers like Carrie are often the highlight of their day. Carrie not only delivers meals, but smiles and I thank her greatly for choosing to volunteer with us,” says Nicole Stahl, Cottage Concierge.
Carlyn Luna
Latimer House Volunteer
Carlyn started volunteering for Hilltop just over four years ago. Carlyn says she volunteers for Latimer House because it is a great way to connect with our community. She was aware of the needs of those experiencing domestic violence and wanted to make a difference.
Carlyn dedicates one day a week to cover the crisis line from 5pm to 8am. “It is of great value to have crisis line volunteers like Carlyn. She always tries to come to our breakfast trainings to learn of new resources in the community that she can utilize when answering calls. She is a kind and generous person. I wish we could find more volunteers like her!” shares Teresha Taylor, Latimer House Volunteer Coordinator.
Mike Bussing
Montrose Family Resource Center Volunteer
Mike has been a Hilltop volunteer for 5 years. Mike became a volunteer in a roundabout way. You see, Mike is the husband of one of our Hilltop employees who works at the Family Resource Center in Montrose. His wife, knowing what a “handy” man he was would call upon his help with minor projects around the office. In fact, Mike was coming in so frequently to the office to help that staff decided he needed to make it official and sign up to be a volunteer. Mike has done everything from fixing broken door handles to furniture installations, to FEMA diaper deliveries.
“He is the entire office’s “honey do” person. He is a super fantastic guy who is always willing to lend a hand. Like his t-shirt says, he is “Mr. Incredible,” adds Teresha Taylor, Support Services Supervisor & Volunteer Coordinator.
Sherri Dixon
Family Resource Center Volunteer
Sherri has been a volunteer for a little over two years. She serves once or twice a week at the Family Resource Center (FRC), assisting with various projects.
Sherri has been such a great benefit to Health Access and many of the other programs in the FRC.
“She has a positive attitude and willingness to help, no matter what the project, this is something that we all admire and appreciate. Thank you so much Sherri, for all your efforts!” says Anna Cubel, Health Coverage Guide.
Sally White
Cottage Meal Delivery Volunteer
Sally has been a Hilltop volunteer since August of 2020. She has been delivering meals to our Cottage residents every single Monday since, and we would not be able to do this without her. Sally, who was looking for a meaningful way to volunteer during COVID, heard about Hilltop’s need for meal delivery volunteers through RSVP. “Sally is dependable, efficient, and is great at offering suggestions on how we can improve our delivery service. Thank you for being a person we can always count on and for your hard work!” says Nicole Stahl, Cottage Concierge.
“Thank you Sally so much for your volunteer work. Even though you’re not in the spotlight all the time, you are the backbone of each and every meal delivery. Please know that we could not have done this successfully without your hard work. We are forever thankful for the time you have given us. You have made an unforgettable difference. You have a beautiful heart, thank you for being a part of our community,” adds Hollie Roach, Commons Dining Room Supervisor.