At age 68, Betty Gay has
finally found her perfect job.
She's a volunteer in the gift
shop at McDuffie County
Regional Medical Center.
"My childhood dream was
to work in a store; I like
selling," said Gay, who has
worked in the closed pants
factory in Thomson, sold
Avon and run a day care
from her home.
Gay started volunteering at
the hospital three years ago
after visiting her brother who
was a patient. Eva Newsome,
then the director of the
volunteers or Auxiliary,
convinced her to come on
board.
Gay, who volunteers two
days a week for four hours
each day, said she enjoys
meeting people and getting
out of the house.
Gay actually counts
every day as a blessing
after having a heart attack
at 49. She celebrated her
50th wedding anniversary in
December with her husband,
Edward, who works full time
delivering prescriptions for
Moye Pharmacy.
Gay is one of 35 active
members of the Auxiliary,
said Ray White, the president
of the group. To be an active
member, one must volunteer
a minimum of eight hours a
month.
White, 67, retired in
Thomson in 2005 from
Vero Beach, Fla., where he
worked as a civil engineer
for a residential development
company. He and his wife,
Mary, chose Thomson
because it was a little, quiet,
residential town. A neighbor,
Wanda Willis, encouraged
him to become a volunteer.
"She wore me down,"
White said. "I joined."
He calculates he puts in
more than 500 hours a year
but loves the work, including
one day a month in the
operating room.
"Everybody has a smile,"
White said. "The people here
are such professionals. This
hospital is unique in that
everybody knows everybody.
I feel I've become part of the
family."
Mary White, the gift
shop manager, said the
Auxiliary needs younger
retirees because many of
the current members are
in their 70s and 80s. Men
would be particularly
welcome, she said.
"Men have an
advantage because
they're stronger," said
White, 63.
After her husband's
death 10 years ago,
Frances Hobbs, 82,
wanted to be more
active. She started
working eight hours a
month at the front desk
and in the gift shop
about eight years ago.
Because she is unable
to drive, her daughter,
Beverly, drives her to
work.
"I like to feel I'm
needed," Hobbs said.
Ann Carter, 71, worked as
a floor nurse at the Medical
College of Georgia for 24
years until retiring 11 years
ago. She's been a volunteer
in the emergency room for
six years.
"I'm a retired nurse; I
could do a little something,"
Carter said to herself.
Her work includes making
beds, taking blood work to
the lab and visiting patients.
Edna Kennedy, 68, is a
part-time staffer about 24
hours a week in the business
department but also works
at least 30 hours a month as
treasurer of the Auxiliary. The
Auxiliary's major event, Tree
of Love, involves sending
letters asking individuals for
a $10 donation. A Christmas
tree is lighted outdoors
in front of the hospital in
December. Proceeds from
the six fundraisers each year
purchase items needed by the
hospital, including chairs in
the waiting room and $7,000
for a stretcher in the x-ray
department.
Carter, Kennedy, Hobbs
and Gay chatted about
their jobs and families
over lunch in the hospital
cafeteria. All four have
great grandchildren. One of
Kennedy's grandchildren
adopted a 3-year-old girl,
Lia, from China, who will
have surgery for a cleft lip.
"She's precious," Kennedy
said.
After half an hour, they
return to duty.
"We better get back to our
job, or we'll be fired," Carter
joked.
