18 / 24
If it’s
a Tuesday morning,
chances are the first person you’ll
see as you enter Mercy Medical
Center Redding is Donna Leistinger.
And you can count on a welcoming
smile.
Since 2010, she’s volunteered
almost every Tuesday at
the Information Desk,
greeting patients
and their families.
“I’m the face of the
hospital when you
walk through the
door,” she says. It’s
a privilege she takes
seriously.
“I try to let everyone know they’re in
a safe, caring place,” says Leistinger,
who is also president of the Mercy
Guild, the volunteer arm of Mercy
Medical Center Redding. “It’s my
job to spread some kindness during
what is often a stressful time.”
That’s a good job description for
all the people who lend a hand at
Dignity Health North State’s three
hospitals. All told, nearly 400 people
volunteered tens of thousands of
hours last year alone.
A glimpse at giving
Volunteers contribute in countless
ways. They drive patients to and
from medical visits. They surprise
new mothers with homemade
baby blankets. And they update
family members about a loved one’s
condition.
They work behind the scenes too.
You’ll find them filing papers and
answering phones to help each hos-
pital run smoothly. “Where there’s
a need, we’ll help fill it,” says
Linda Ezzat, who serves
on the St. Elizabeth
Community
Hospital Auxiliary
Board of Directors.
Many volunteers
also help out with
fundraisers—from
modest used-book sales
to large community events.
The money raised helps provide
everything from medical equip-
ment, like CT scanners and fetal
monitors, to touches of comfort, like
plate warmers for patients’ meals.
The common thread? “We help de-
liver exceptional care,” Ezzat says.
Generosity has rewards
As much as they give, Dignity
Health volunteers say they receive
even more. They form lasting
friendships. And often, they develop
new skills.
But most important, “we have
the chance to make a positive
difference in people’s lives,” says
JoAnn Caskey, a volunteer at the
Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta
Meet the
helpers
Join our team
There’s a volunteer opportunity to
match every interest at Dignity Health
North State. To learn more, call:
Deanna Gunter
Mercy Medical Center Redding
530.225.7550
Kristen Behrens
St. Elizabeth Community Hospital
530.529.8038
Marina Facchin
Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta
530.926.7147
Volunteers make a healing difference every day
Gift Shop for nearly 10 years. “And
though we’re not looking for any-
thing in return, we’re paid back in
priceless ways—with smiles and
gratitude.”
Libby Hall, Mercy Mt. Shasta Gift
Shop Volunteer, gives out kindness
every day.
“We have
the chance tomake
a positive difference
in people’s
lives.”
18