July 1, 2025
After 43 years as a nurse, with her final decade spent at Holy Family, Cindy couldn’t stay away. Just one year into retirement, she returned as a volunteer, continuing her mission of caring for patients at the end of their lives.
“I just fell in love with the place,” Cindy shares about Holy Family. When she retired from nursing, she missed the meaningful connections and quickly returned as a volunteer. Now she visits weekly, feeding patients and providing companionship—skills she honed during her nursing career.
Cindy’s bond with Holy Family runs deep as both her parents received care there. This personal experience strengthened her commitment to the facility, leading her to tell her own children, “If I need it, there’s only one place they’re sending me, and that’s Holy Family.”
What makes volunteering meaningful for Cindy is the opportunity to be present during profound moments. “When people are imminently near the end and you’re praying with them or the family’s there praying with them… it’s very special to be there,” she explains, noting how patients sometimes reach out in communication with the Lord during these sacred moments.
For Cindy, volunteering provides purpose in retirement. “I think especially when you’re retired, you can get too involved in yourself and your own desires and your own retirement. Not that that’s not important. It’s important to relax and do some fun stuff, but to give back, because my life’s been blessed a lot and it’s giving it back and my faith is very important to me and helping to serve any kind of service role is very important.”
When asked what makes Holy Family special, Cindy doesn’t hesitate: “The care here is above and beyond excellent. It’s hard to find the kind of caring staff anywhere else.”
Her final thought captures the essence of her experience: “This place is a gift from God.”
For those interested in volunteering at Holy Family, Cindy encourages you to “give it a shot” and “find your niche.” Various opportunities exist beyond feeding patients—all making a profound difference in the lives of patients and their families.
