Married for 39 years, Donna and Steve Constantine have literally done everything together. They retired in 2009 and sold their house, car and other possessions to buy a 53-foot boat to sail around the globe. Now back in South Florida, they're dedicating their time to volunteer work at Broward Health North.
"I joined Broward Health North's Auxiliary Department in March 2018," said Donna, who volunteers two days a week in the surgical recovery room and Diagnostic Imaging Center.
Steve, who has also been volunteering at the hospital for one year, shares time with Donna in the surgical recovery room, but also works in the outpatient admittance area. And this year, Steve has become a historian for the Auxiliary, recording the organization’s activities throughout the year.
“I consider my role to be anything I can do to enhance the experience of patients, visitors, families, nurses, doctors and any other hospital staff or volunteers who can benefit,” Steve said. “Even if it’s seemingly insignificant, I can hold a door for a team member who’s pushing a linen cart or just say ‘Good Morning’ to everyone I pass.”
Donna enjoys being in the healthcare setting. Now retired from the finance and mortgage industry, she acknowledges that she always wanted to be a nurse.
“I love dealing with the patients and their families, and I enjoy helping to make their time at the hospital a positive experience,” she said. “I promised myself when I did retire that I would go and volunteer at a hospital.”
Steve said that the best part of volunteering is the gratitude he receives from each encounter. He feels he has the freedom to do his best work without any pressure or stress.
“I’m lucky enough to be in a position to be able to pay back a small portion of my own good fortune in life,” he said. “I’d encourage anyone to consider volunteer work as a way to stay active, both mentally and physically. I’ve never had a job in my life in which I was shown so much appreciation for what I do on a daily basis. It’s far more rewarding than I thought it would be.”