Husband and wife reflect on serving as Redcoats

Pat and Ellen Yoder are not only a team as husband and wife, but they also serve together as Redcoat volunteers at Elkhart General Hospital.

Pat finds volunteering to be a fulfilling part of his life.

“I enjoy the people and the job. The other volunteers are all wonderful people and a joy to work with. Everyone is pleasant and happy we are there. I make a real difference in people’s lives and that makes me feel good,” he says.

Over the last nine years, Pat says so many special moments stand out that it’s hard to select one to share.

“I had the privilege of knowing one volunteer who had volunteered for about 27 years and was in his 90s. He apologized for not being able to do the work and asked if it was OK if he stopped volunteering,” says Pat, who at one time served as chairman of the Elkhart General Redcoats.

Another time, one of his fellow Redcoats asked him if it was OK for him to retire. “He was no able to continue to do the work. He was about 90-years-old and had been Redcoating for 27 years,” Pat recalls. “I am honored to have known him, and his dedication is my reminder about what it means to be a volunteer.”

Ellen decided to start volunteering after she retired. Since Pat was volunteering at Elkhart General Hospital already, and they needed another person on his shift, she decided to join the team.

“Being a Redcoat is good exercise,” Ellen says about her walks with patient family members across the building.

And the moments that she remembers most, that have defined her time as a volunteer, have been words of gratitude she has received.

“I’ve had several visitors who thanked me several times,” she says, “because they would never have gotten to see their relative or friend since they could not walk all the way to those rooms.”