Thelma Calls

here at the alzheimer's association, we rely on volunteer support for much of what we do. you see, we need to raise $2.2 million a year and serve 66,000 people in orange county with alzheimer's or dementia. that's an awful lot of work for the 18 of us on staff so volunteers play a huge role.

as you can imagine, that means we have a lot of different personalities to manage. fortunately, we have an incredible volunteer coordinator who keeps them plugged in and feeling appreciated.

thank god for her!

one of my favorite volunteers comes every friday to help around the office. she's an 80 year-old widow and she's adopted all of us her family. she brings us bagels and lox and matzo ball soup, tells us stories about her kids and grandkids and reminds us that we're giving her as much of a gift as she gives us. one of her responsibilities is to call our donors - even those who only gave $5 - to thank them for their generosity. most people would see it as a waste of time - that we should focus on the big fish - but we think everyone deserves our gratitude and there's no one better person for this task than thelma.

i walked by her workstation today on my way back from the break room and overheard one of her phone calls. i paused and smiled and imagined getting a call from thelma in the middle of the day. what would my reaction be? initially, a little impatient, i have to admit. she's definitely a talker and i'd probably be busy and rushing her off the phone. upon learning that it's a simple call of appreciation from an incredibly gracious woman, i hope i'd slow down and give her the time to go through her script - even if that meant she'd stray off topic periodically.


considering how well-received "thelma calls" are by our donors, it sounds like they all "get it." at this stage of her life, she doesn't have to commit the time, energy or gas (yes, she still drives) to support our work. but she does. and she does it with a smile, cheerful demeanor and unsurpassed enthusiasm.