Celebrating the Unsung Heroes: The Impact of Selfless Service by Volunteers
More than 141,000 Veterans receive their care at VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS), supporting the needs of Veterans across 55 counties in middle Tennessee, 13 in southern Kentucky, and five in northern Georgia.
It is a mission that would not be accomplished without volunteers.
Four hundred twenty-three volunteers support TVHS’ Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE) throughout the week at any given time. Four hundred twenty-three does not factor the unscheduled volunteers from local businesses, charities, and others, who donate their time to help and encourage Veterans at TVHS. These groups provide meals, perform music, support Veterans during holidays, and more to lift the spirits of Veterans receiving treatment at one of the 23 TVHS health care facilities.
“I always tell people when they come in to volunteer that most of these Veterans, they actually need social time. The best thing we can offer them is an ear to talk to them, let them open up … They don't expect any answers. They just want someone to listen, and I think that's what we need to offer,” said Gary Richmond, volunteer with CDCE.
Richmond has volunteered at the Alvin C. York VA Medical Center for 25 years after serving in the Army for 20 years. For him, volunteering has been a rewarding chance to continue to serve.
“I decided to come out here and try volunteering for a while to see what else the future may hold,” Richmond said. “I was able to come here and enjoy helping my fellow Veterans and help my family at the same.”
Another volunteer for CDCE, Mike McAfee, has been volunteering at York for six months. McAfee was drafted and deployed during the Vietnam War and now volunteers his time to his fellow Veterans.
“I came to this facility for my treatment about 10 years ago and I wanted to give back, so I volunteered,” McAfee said.
Volunteers donate their time for a variety of reasons, but all share a common goal of supporting and making a difference in the lives of Veterans and their families. For McAfee, he believes he still has a chance to continue to serve and give back to the community.
“A lot of these Veterans aren't as well off as I am. I am able to be mobile and do things,” McAfee said. “I just wanted to say thank you [to TVHS] for the good treatment I've received here.”
Volunteers are often the first person to greet Veterans when they enter TVHS care facilities. It is their guidance and understanding that helps navigate Veterans and their families to medical appointments. It is their friendly demeanor and candor that lets Veterans know they are appreciated.
“I call myself the ‘Walmart greeter’ because we see every patient that comes in, and we try to assist them to wherever their appointment might be. If it's a family member, we get them hooked up with the patient, or to answer any questions they may have,” Richmond said.
There are many tedious and sometimes mundane tasks volunteers provide and complete at TVHS that are vital to ensuring safe and efficient care for Veterans.
Donnie Ashley, a Veteran and volunteer at Chattanooga VA Clinic, enjoys volunteering because his efforts allow TVHS staff and other volunteers to focus on more complex responsibilities.
“Most of my time is spent in the office working on paper, which is not a real glorious job. Helping with the mundane work that we do [allows] other volunteers to go out and do [Veteran] escort and assist other services … we all work together,” Ashley said.
What makes TVHS volunteers special is their connection to Veterans. The bond of brotherhood and sisterhood in service goes beyond generations and branches, and it’s a common foundation or sense of humor that all Veterans can understand.
“One my good buddies came in who had lost a leg and had a prosthetic, a wooden one. He'd been with it a long time, and he started giving people a hard time,” Richmond said. “I walked up to him, I said, ‘You only get a termite check once a month.’ He calmed down there, and we became good friends.”
Dec. 5 is known as International Volunteer Day, established by the United Nations in 1985 to recognize the tireless efforts of volunteers across the globe. The 423 volunteers for CDCE do not work for a paycheck or compensation, but their sacrifice and service help TVHS provide world-class care to thousands of Veterans daily. To the Veterans that they assist, their time and effort will never be forgotten.
If you would like to learn about volunteering, visit Volunteer at a facility.