From Captain to Caregiver and 47,000 Hours of Service: Two Orlando VA Volunteers Making a Difference
By Joseph Nunez, Public Affairs Specialist
Service to others comes in many forms, and for U.S. Army Veterans Fred Holmes and Don Soderblom, it’s a lifelong mission.
Together, their decades of volunteer work with the Orlando VA Healthcare System (OVAHCS) have touched thousands of lives, providing comfort, resources, and hope to fellow Veterans.
Holmes, a fixture at the Orlando VA for 29 years, has dedicated more than 47,000 volunteer hours—the equivalent of more than 22 years of full-time service. For him, volunteering is as much about personal fulfillment as it is about helping others.
“Volunteering has done more for me than it has for others,” Holmes said. “It’s what keeps me going in life.”
“Holmes’ decades of commitment represent the heart of our mission,” said Cristina Mercado Acevedo, Service Chief, Center of Development and Civic Engagement, OVAHCS. “Volunteers are an extension of our care team.”
Giving their time, talents and compassion ensures that Veterans feel valued Mercado Acevedo expressed.
“People like Fred and Don are an inspiration, reminding us that service doesn’t end when the uniform comes off.”
Soderblom, who served from 1966 to 1970 and attained the rank of captain, has spent the last four years volunteering with OVAHCS and leading Veteran outreach efforts through the Sanford Elks Lodge. His contributions include delivering Welcome Home kits to formerly homeless Veterans—each valued at $400 to $600 and filled with essentials like towels, sheets, cookware, and cleaning supplies.
“They’re not for service members returning from deployment, like I originally thought,” Soderblom said with a smile. “They’re for homeless Veterans who are finally transitioning into permanent housing.”
Since April 2024, Soderblom’s team has delivered 50 kits. One recipient, a single mother and Veteran expressed her gratitude by saying, “I no longer have to sleep on the floor. My children have a home to come back to, and now I can focus on getting a job and getting them to school.”
The Sanford Elks also host monthly outings for Veterans from the VA’s Domiciliary programs, offering fishing, homecooked meals, and bingo. Soderblom leads in-hospital visits too, distributing comfort items like blankets and wheelchair gloves to approximately 100 patients in a single day.
Sodorblom emphasizes, “You can’t spend too long with each person, but when you hand someone a blanket and they say, ‘You came all the way just to see me?’—that’s powerful,” he said.
Both Holmes and Soderblom credit the CDCE team, formerly known as VA Voluntary Service for their support.
“They’re passionate and accommodating,” stated Soderblom.
Soderblom adds, “They truly care about improving Veterans’ lives—physically, mentally, and emotionally.”
From 46,000 hours of steady service to innovative outreach programs, Holmes and Soderblom embody what it means to continue serving long after military retirement.
“I’ve seen the impact, and I’ll keep doing this for as long as I can,” Soderblom said. “It’s a way to keep serving—and that means everything to me.”
# # #
About the Orlando VA Healthcare System: Established in 2006, the Orlando VA Healthcare System is one of the leading healthcare systems serving more than 142,000 Veterans in the VA Sunshine Health Care Network offering healthcare services at 11 locations serving east central Florida. Recently recognized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the healthcare system received 5 out of 5 stars in overall hospital quality. The healthcare system has also been given 5-star recognition for patient experience by Becker’s Hospital Review and was awarded the 2024 Patient Safety Program of Excellence designation from the Veterans Health Administration’s National Center for Patient Safety.
To learn more about the facilities and services offered by the OVAHCS, please visit: VA Orlando Health Care | Veterans Affairs, subscribe to receive email updates by clicking here, like us on Facebook at: Orlando VA Healthcare System | Facebook, follow us on Instagram at: Orlando VA Healthcare System (@ovahcs) • Instagram photos and videos or on Twitter at: @OVAHCS / Twitter.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Office of Public Affairs
Orlando VA Health Care System