Volunteering with enthusiasm at 90 years old

Every Thursday at 10 am, Faith Stagg, 90, can be found volunteering at the James S. Brown Pavilion that’s located between Sharp Memorial Hospital and Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns.

Since 2010, she has volunteered at these three facilities, with her tasks ranging from helping patients make crafts through Arts for Healing to serving on various committees to improve the patient experience.

“I have been a patient myself at Sharp Memorial due to the breast cancer I had many years ago,” she says. “I wanted to give back somehow to the place that helped care for me.”

After Faith completed her treatment, she began volunteering for the first time, discovering that the experience had similarities to her decades-long career as an escrow officer.

“It’s similar in that it can be stressful for people buying a house or visiting a hospital. I find it fulfilling when I can be a source of comfort,” she says.

Faith’s volunteering at Sharp inspired her to volunteer at other organizations, such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Vista Hill and Jewish Family Service of San Diego. Her tasks included knitting as well as delivering and serving meals.

She has numerous recognitions expressing gratitude for her services, including a heartfelt letter from a senator. When Vista Hill nominated her as the Volunteer of the Year from the County of San Diego Behavioral Health Services, several team members at Sharp celebrated with her.

“I love that her name is Faith, because you can have faith in her with whatever she does,” says Fran Mcmillan, who works at the concierge desk at the James S. Brown Pavilion.

Faith volunteers at the front desk by greeting patients and team members, including the nurses and doctors she sees regularly.

“Many of the team members at Sharp have been working here for many years, even decades. It makes me happy to think that it’s a good workplace that people commit their career to,” she says.

When the front-line team members struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, Faith purchased 300 sandwiches to boost morale.

With approximately 3,000 service hours at Sharp, Faith says volunteering has become a major passion. She says Sharp shows its appreciation for volunteers, as she has fond memories of attending luncheons and the All-Staff Assembly, which gathers and celebrates all Sharp team members.

“I like that there’s a strong sense of connection at Sharp,” she says. “I feel it when I chat with a patient as I help push them in their wheelchair. I’ve also become friends with several team members who work at the hospital gift shop.”

Humble and enthusiastic, Faith credits her vivacious spirit to the gratification she feels from volunteering. “I want to continue for as long as I can,” she says.

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