ROYAL OAK, Mich. – A volunteer with special needs and a heart of gold has made it her mission to make every patient at Beaumont Royal Oak feel special.
Charlene Mabie has volunteered for more than 6,000 hours and is making a difference every day. If you found yourself at Beaumont Royal Oak and needed a gift for a loved one, chances are you were greeted by Mabie.
For 17 years Mabie has dedicated her time to making patients feel more at home. The beloved volunteer can be found stocking shelves at the gift store or making special deliveries.
The 38-year-old has special needs, but her vision and hearing impairments never slowed her down. Mabie hopes she can inspire others to volunteer.
The COVID pandemic reduced the number of hospital volunteers by half. There’s about 320 volunteers at Beaumont Royal Oak and only 5% have special needs.
Twice a week, Mabie rides a bus to get to the hospital. The longtime volunteer hit a remarkable milestone -- she surpassed 6,000 hours at the hospital.
Want to volunteer? Click here to learn more about how to volunteer at Beaumont.