Science shows you can boost your chances of living healthier, happier and longer lives by eating healthy, getting regular exercise, and having a positive outlook. According to these seven individuals one of the most important things is to stay connected.

Through the volunteer program and the Gold Circle Membership Club, Memorial Health Care System helps to promote this truth by providing opportunities for individuals 50 and Better to stay active and involved. Volunteers help in more than 80 different areas of Memorial - from cardiac services to driving the shuttle or answering the phone. Participants are encouraged to find a position that is right for them at a choice of locations within Memorial Health Care System.

 “In addition to the joy that comes from being of service to others, our volunteers build social networks and have fun,” says Volunteer Director Connie Dawdy. “Memorial greatly appreciates the service of willing volunteers and welcomes them as family.” A few of the tangible benefits of volunteering at Memorial include flu shots, access to various seminars on health and wellness, computer education classes, a free uniform, and learning more about advancements in health care at Memorial.

 

When F.O. Richardson retired five years ago from his work as a pharmacist, his wife Margaret thought he really needed to be involved in something productive that would allow him to visit with people on a regular basis. “We stay busy,” says Margaret. “That wasn’t my concern.” 

The Richardsons live on a farm near McDonald, Tennessee, and are avid gardeners and enthusiastic fans of Lady Mocs basketball, buying season tickets and attending as many games as possible. Margaret enjoys painting and teaches a watercolor painting class in the Cleveland area.

“F.O. always enjoyed his contact with customers so much, I knew he would miss it. I wanted to find something we could do that would offer that type of opportunity,” Margaret says. “Volunteering at Memorial was her idea: I just do what she tells me to do,” F.O. jokes. “Now I love it and wish I’d thought of it.”

At Memorial Hospital, F.O works with an extremely compatible team of volunteers at the Welcome Desk in the Patient Entrance, offering guidance to patients and families and often escorting them to the area of the hospital they need. Margaret first worked in the Surgery Waiting Area and now works in the Pre-Op Waiting area, where she assists patients coming for pre-surgery testing and family members who are with them. She provides directions, answers questions, and is available to help in any way she can. “This was exactly what we both needed,” Margaret says. “We look forward to Tuesdays and arrange our schedule so we rarely have to miss.”  

 F.O. and Margaret are also members of Memorial’s Gold Circle Program and especially enjoyed one of the day trips to a kangaroo farm in North Georgia. “I hope we can do that again, and if we didn’t live so far away, we would participate more,” Margaret says.

 

 Willie Harvey

Willie Harvey worked many years in helping professions, even doing counseling on an aircraft carrier. Retiring after 20 years in the U.S. Navy, he worked as a counseling specialist at TVA for 25 years.

“I knew I wanted to do something meaningful when I retired from TVA, and I found it at Memorial,” Willie says. Willie volunteers at the Intensive Care Unit Information Desk at Memorial Hospital and in the Emergency Department at Memorial North Park Hospital. “I am able to assist people who have family members in the intensive care units and to contribute something to those who are coming for emergency help,” he explains. “We have many opportunities to make a difficult time just a little easier.”

Alice Voorheis is a firm believer in the benefits of staying busy. She has been a hard worker all of her life and jokes with her family about her workaholic tendencies. When she retired in 1991, she quickly figured out that she wanted to do something meaningful with her free time.

Adventist Historic Ministries (AHM), an organization that buys and restores historic properties with connections to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, provided a perfect fit for Alice, who taught school for nearly 40 years and is a strong advocate of studying history. She served as president of AHM for many years and has had many opportunities to share her passion for history.

Alice has made countless trips to New England and Michigan from her home in Collegedale and has worked as a tour guide at a number of historic homes. She feels very blessed to be able to share her enthusiasm with others on a regular basis. “If you have a sense of your roots and know where you came from,” says Alice, “You have a greater sense of belonging, and more energy and determination to work for something.”

Alice believes these activities help keep her both mentally and physically healthy, and her good health allows her to enjoy quality time with her family, which includes five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. At 81, she feels like she can still conquer the world and has much to share with others.

Born in Turkey 75 years ago, Dr. Luke Inankur has been a citizen of the United States for more than 50 years. A specialist in pediatrics, he practiced 18 years in Iowa, 16 years in North Dakota, and five years part-time in Cleveland, Tennessee. As a physician, he has been particularly concerned about helping people stay healthy. Throughout his career, he volunteered his time and resources to present health education programs in Turkey and the United States r.

For the past six years, Dr. Luke (as he is called by children and adults), has volunteered his time to present the Breathe Free smoking cessation program for Memorial Health Care System. “Smoking is extremely destructive to health, and it is very difficult to quit,” Dr. Luke says. “Breathe Free is a scientific program that has helped thousands of people quit smoking because it offers support when it is most needed.” 

Memorial’s next session begins January 11, 2008, and Dr. Luke will be coordinating the program with a faculty that includes former smokers, nurses, cancer specialists, health educators, cardiologists, registered dietitians, and certified personal trainers – all volunteering their time. For information, call 495-GOLD.

Vernon and Roberta Herod of Collegedale are also advocates of an active, healthy lifestyle. Now in their 80s, they have long been committed volunteers in their local church. Vernon still goes in to help count the offering, and Roberta helps with mailings.

The couple is also dedicated to healthful living, including drinking plenty of water and walking together every day. Both Vernon and Roberta are vegetarians and try to maintain a vegan diet, which eliminates all animal products. Roberta enjoys the challenge of finding new recipes that fit into their lifestyle. “We believe our time here is a gift from God, and we don’t want to squander it,” Vernon says.