Northwestern Medicine Volunteers Provide Compassion and Service, Impacting the Lives of those who Give and Receive Care

For National Volunteers Week, Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital Celebrates its Volunteers, Aims to Expand its Volunteer Network

For 50 years, National Volunteer Week, held during the third week of April, has recognized the generosity and tireless dedication of individuals who donate their time and talents to make a difference in their communities.

Volunteering is proven to support others while also enhancing an individual’s mental and physical well-being by fostering a sense of purpose, increasing activity, and strengthening social connections.

At Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, volunteers play a vital role in ensuring every patient feels supported, allowing staff to focus on delivering exceptional care.

In 2025, 83 dedicated volunteers contributed more than 4,100 hours of service across 11 departments at Marianjoy. They serve in 16 types of roles, including animal therapy, greeters, patient transport, eucharistic minister and more.

“Many of our volunteers have received inpatient and/or outpatient treatment at Marianjoy, while others simply want to make an impact on the well-being of patients and families,” said Lora Cummings, volunteer coordinator at Marianjoy. “What they all share is a commitment to creating a welcoming and comfortable environment for the patients and families we serve.”

Finding fulfillment in service to others

One of those volunteers is Elsie Dieden of Villa Park, who has devoted nearly 25 years of service to Marianjoy. Her involvement began in 2000 when she was working as a special education teacher with District 200 and arranged for her students to assist in the hospital’s mailroom and other departments. After accompanying a student through his volunteer orientation and a few shifts, Elsie found herself drawn to Marianjoy’s mission and began volunteering regularly at the hospital.

Following her retirement from teaching, she deepened her volunteer commitment with the hospital’s spiritual care department. Throughout the years, Elsie has made an impact on hundreds of patients and families in a variety of ways. She is especially proud of helping launch the “Music on Call” program, which brought live and recorded music to patient’s bedsides. Today, Elsie continues to lift patients’ spirits by sharing music on YouTube and engaging in conversation.

“I’ve seen firsthand the healing power of music and its ability to help people relax and open up,” said Dieden. “When I’m visiting a patient, we talk about everything from music and health to family and sports. I’m humbled to play even a small role in someone’s healing journey and to support Marianjoy’s approach to caring for the whole patient.”

How contributing helps foster independence and belonging

Another volunteer is Jackie Peterson, 44, who has been a steady presence at Marianjoy for more than 25 years. Jackie began volunteering in the hospital’s mailroom during her senior year at Wheaton North High School, and today she gives her time and talents alongside her job coach and friend, Kathy Konzcak.

As a person who has lived with a disability, Jackie began volunteering at the encouragement of her parents, Barbara and Chris Peterson. Believing it was important for Jackie to be actively engaged in the community, they saw volunteering as a meaningful way for her to build connections and develop greater independence.

Each Tuesday, Jackie and Kathy spend two hours assembling and delivering Patient and Family Education notebooks throughout the hospital. For 14 years, the two women have worked alongside one another at several nonprofit organizations, forming a close friendship strengthened through shared responsibilities and social activities.

“Jackie considers the staff and volunteers ‘family’” Konzcak said. “Café staff and team members in housekeeping and registration know Jackie by name, and it’s not uncommon for us to pass nurses in the hallways who stop to say hello.”

Making a difference as a Marianjoy volunteer

As Marianjoy looks ahead, the hospital is committed to expanding its volunteer program. “We’re continually enhancing the volunteer experience so that people feel fulfilled by their service, patients receive meaningful support and staff can focus on providing top quality care,” said Cummings. “Our goal is to welcome as many as a dozen new volunteers in 2026.”

As Dieden and Konzcak have experienced, the benefits of volunteering are significant; serving others enables them to meet new people, develop new skills, gain valuable perspectives and impact the lives of patients and families served at Marianjoy.

Volunteers must be at least 16 years old and commit to a two-to-four-hour shift one day per week. Certain roles may have minimum age requirements based on assigned tasks or the population served. The onboarding process includes an interview, health screening, background check (for those 18 and older) and orientation.

For more information about volunteering at Northwestern Medicine, visit nm.org/volunteer.

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Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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