GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Bright and early they are ready.
Volunteers at the Milo C. Huempfner Outpatient Clinic always seem to have a ready smile, are handy with a wheelchair, and know how to brew a fresh cup of coffee.
Those simple touches and gestures ease the minds of those who have served our country and come here for care.
Many of them wore the uniform.
Linda Grunewald was a Navy Nurse in the 60s. She brings humor that builds an instant connection.
“I say can I push you to your appointment, sir? And when they say yes, I tell them I love to push men around. I laugh, they laugh. “
Local 5 News also met George Zipperer, a Navy Veteran who started volunteering when the center opened up in 2013.
“My wife died about two years ago,” Zipperer acknowledged. “So this gets me out and talking to people. I love it. It gives me something to do.”
We met yet another Navy veteran, Mark Pirlot, who said Packers legend Bart Starr inspired him to give back.
“He talked about different volunteer things,” Pirlot recalled. “He said you don’t get any monetary value. But you do get friendship.”
Each volunteer brings something unique to their shift. You don’t have to be a veteran to help out here.
“Everyone who volunteers has a special connection to a veteran,” said Volunteer Coordinator Kyle Newkirk. “Many are spouses, or it could be a father or mother in the military. But it’s certainly not a requirement whatsoever.
All they ask is that volunteers are ready to greet the day with a can-do attitude befitting those who have worn the uniform.
“It’s never enough,” Grunewald added. “Our veterans need everything.”
The public is invited to attend the re-dedication of the Green Bay VA Health Care Center to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.
December 13th, starting at 10:30 a.m.
Local 5 has posted the full interview on its YouTube channel.
