The secret to volunteering, according to Leroy Weathers, is simple. You have to treat it like a job.
He should know. Mr. Weathers was recently recognized by Roper St. Francis for volunteering more than 13,100 hours at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital in West Ashley.
So, if you do the math (stay with me now), that’s 1,637 eight-hour days, which is 327 work weeks, which is more than six years of “unpaid employment.”
“You have to have a passion for it,” said Mr. Weathers, a pastor from McClellanville, more than an hour’s drive some days, one way. “You have to treat it like you were hired, like you were being paid. You have to show up on time, maybe a little early, and be kind to people. I love helping folks.”
And it shows. Nobody arrives at Bon Secours St. Francis on his shift that doesn’t get a smile, directions or a helping hand if they need one. Joan Perry, director of volunteers for Roper St. Francis, says Mr. Weathers has pushed people many a mile in wheelchairs, and does it all with a smile.
“I started volunteering back after Hurricane Hugo in 1989,” Mr. Weathers said during one of his recent shifts as a greeter at Bon Secours St. Francis. “I started out at the old St. Francis Hospital downtown because I was interested in helping people.”
Here we are 25 years later and Mr. Weathers is still one of the smiling faces you’ll see when you arrive at the hospital, always ready to help.
“I never say no,” Mr. Weathers said. “Whether it’s delivering medical records early in the morning or getting ladies over to the mammography building, or pushing somebody in a wheelchair, I like to be of service, and it’s nice to know that folks appreciate it.”
Indeed, everybody appreciates the time and passion Mr. Weathers has given to the community, and continues to give, just like it was a job.
By: Ken Burger, former Post and Courier sports columnist and local author. Reach Ken at ken.burger@rsfh.com.
