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RMC volunteer of the year honored
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Rockdale Medical Center Volunteers

Name, Year they started volunteering 

Jean Long, 1978
Janet Forner, 1982
Brigitte McMillian, 1986
Bertha Becker, 1989
Ann Goodman, 1990
Joyce Collins, 1993
Alberta Harris, 1993
Velda Jones, 1993
Ray Powell, 1993
Tom Scarborough, 1993
Lillie Gaulding, 1995
Rosemary Gerstner, 1997
Jean Giambra, 1998
Janet Hartwig, 1998
Carolyn Redfearn, 1998
Pat Stapley, 2000
Eleanor Karp, 2001
Betty McWilliams, 2002
Trudy Crouch, 2003
Robert Holland, 2003
Cathy Leonard, 2003
Bette B. Johnson, 2004
Marvin LaFayette, 2004
Carolyn Sutton, 2004
Margaret White, 2005
Johnie Forgay, 2006
Fredrick Griffin, 2006
Bettie Miller, 2006
Sara Strain, 2006
Rachel Wooldridge, 2006
Margie Priestley, 2007

2008
Sadie Aikens
Janis Alexander
Jane Asbell
Faye Belcher
Alvin Blenk
Jim Brandon
Walter Brown
Susan Easterbrook
Anna Folden
Nora Garza
Marsha T. Heerde
Coy Hendricks
Tina Janis
Carol Joe
Charlotte Knox
Cheryl Kutzer
Juanita Mason
Kenneth Matson
Linda Morrison
Waveney Padmore
Patricia Price
Bridgette Printup
Claude Robinson
Dorothy E. Schath
Ann Span
Jean Sullivan
Janet Tai
Barbara Tessneer
Barbara Wiggins
Linda Williams
Kristy Wilson

2009
Jane Antonucci
Sara Bell
Sharon Bishop
Billy Boyd
Frankie Calloway
Winsome Carter
Colin Chilcott
Carol Childers
Margaret Clark
Anne Fuller
Brenda Griffin
Sharon Hammonds
Margaret Jenkins
Carron Johnson
Vickie Lee
Lil Logan
Charles Martin
Gertrude Martin
Joyce Matthews
Kristi Paige
Dorothy Schmidt
Dorothy Smith
Nelly Sosa
Nakita Tillman
Yolanda Tucker
Debra Watson
Shauntay Whitmore
Islas Yajahira

2010
Patricia Babb
Claudette Bell
Sharon Burgess
Rose Byrd
Caroline Gray
Tangela Green
Anna Harris
Ashley Hudson
Patricia Jacobs
Porshay James
Chris Mburu
Dawn Nunnery
Debra Penn
Margaret Scott
Koliyan Sorm
Julie Upadhyaya-Moore
Alexandria Wimberly

Honorary Members
Sandra Parker
Sarah West

 

Jean Giambra gasped when her name was announced as Rockdale Medical Center's Volunteer of the Year at the hospital's annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on Tuesday.

Giambra, a volunteer since 1992 and Auxiliary member for the past 12 years, blinked back tears as she received a hug from Marianne Freeman, vice president of Human Relations and Administration. Giambra said she was surprised, since she had cast her vote for someone else to be volunteer of the year.

"This job brought me through, when my husband died... It brings me through depression. It keeps me out of trouble and off the street," said Giambra, with a twinkle in her eye. "I love it."

Freeman described her as an excellent greeter, cheerful and helpful in the Day Surgery section and the East Tower Information Desk. She also works jewelry and uniform sales events, seminars, and prepares Auxiliary meal tickets and visitor patient information cards. Giambra was even working during the luncheon preparing and collecting entrance tickets.

Giambra was so beloved by the staff, said Freeman, that in 2008, when she had serious surgery, one of the day surgery nurses went to her home every night, to change her bandages and help her shower.

The spry 76-year-old moved to the area with her family in 1982 and retired from Marshall's distribution center.
In addition to her work at the hospital, she is active in her church, St. Pius X Catholic Church, her home owner's association, and volunteers at Rockdale Cares, which helps to watch after her mentally challenged daughter.

Giambra recalled a vivid moment she experienced while volunteering when a physician had a stroke and Giambra was asked to stay with the physician while others went for help.

She held the physician's hand while repeating, "It's going to be alright. It's going to be alright," and stayed with her even after help arrived.

Volunteers, said CEO Bryan Dearing, help the hospital meet its budget by providing services that free up other staff members and raising funds for equipment that frees up funds for other hospital needs. "Rockdale Medical Center would not be what it is today with out the hard work of volunteers," he said.