A Small Act and a Big Difference

If you’ve visited Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris HOPE Tower, you have probably seen Louise and Sam Olshan.

The couple has enthusiastically greeted and offered directions to any patients who may need them once a week for years.

But they see their true responsibility as lending some extra support to anyone who may need it.

A Tradition Begins

When Louise and Sam first moved to the Neptune community full-time, after years of falling in love with the area on vacation, they were determined to settle in as their kind spirits saw best: by volunteering.

Almost every Monday since it opened, the couple has been a mainstay at HOPE Tower, doing whatever they can to help, from answering the phone to escorting patients and pushing wheelchairs. They also joined the patient family advisory council, host seasonal thank yous for the team and go out into the community to highlight the work of the hospital and the network.

“We’re busy, and we sort of like it,” Louise says. “We’ll see people just looking, and we’ll ask if we can help. We’re proactive, and for them it’s a big relief. We sort of get to know some of the patients, and they’ll stop by every Monday and say hello.”

Steadfast Support

Their primary role as volunteers is to guide and transport patients and to answer the many, many phone calls, but just as often, they help by offering additional support.

“I think it’s just that everybody shows appreciation when you let them know where they’re going, if they need some assurance,” Sam says.

They’re just as willing to offer conversation. One patient who comes in regularly for cancer treatment has made seeing Louise part of her routine.

“If I miss her or I'm away one week, she’ll ask, ‘Oh, where were you?’” she says. “Her positive attitude is unbelievable. She is so upbeat, smiling, happy. She pulls me up! She’s the one with the problems, but she’s really made an impression on me.”

The best part of volunteering, Louise says, is “the warm feeling you get from helping people. Many of them are very appreciative.”

“Especially if they’re scared, you give them that comfort,” Sam adds.

To those considering volunteering, their advice is clear.

“I would say to do it! It’s very rewarding,” Louise says.

“The patients are very appreciative. They thank you profusely. Sometimes I say forget it, I'll walk with you, and we’ll chat. I’m tired at the end of the day, but I really feel two things: I've helped the hospital, and I've gotten a whole lot of thanks.”