I initially began volunteering at Red Door Community in 1995, when they first opened their signature Red Door in New York. As my father had succumbed to lung cancer in 1991, my objective at that time was to honor his memory. He lived in Michigan and I traveled back-and-forth during the final stages of his life and experienced first-hand the effect that his diagnosis had on both the patient and the caregivers.
Volunteering at Red Door Community has been immensely rewarding and I remain grateful and humbled for the opportunity to be able to do so. After nearly a quarter-century, it still continues to be a highly gratifying and enlightening experience, to be able to interact with Red Door Community members as well as my fellow volunteers, some of whom are also members.
I have never ceased to be amazed at the stories that they have shared with me, as they bravely and courageously battle this “challenge” that life has presented.
I marvel at the resilience of the human body as it acclimates through both difficult and ordinary circumstances, the ebb and flow of life.