Delnor Hospital celebrates National Volunteer Week

The desire to truly make a difference in the community has been handed down from generation to generation in the Keller family of Geneva.

Kris Keller’s father volunteered at a hospital for over 20 years, Kris volunteers at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital and now her 16-year-old son Max Keller is a volunteer at the hospital.

Kris and Max are just two of Delnor’s 155 volunteers who are being honored during National Volunteer Week, April 16-22, according to a news release from Northwestern Medicine.

“Watching families embrace volunteerism is special, whether it is a younger sibling following in an older sibling’s footsteps, mother/daughter or mother/son volunteer teams, husbands encouraging their wives to volunteer or sisters-in-law sharing a volunteer role,” said Kelli Bender, volunteer services manager at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital, in the release. “Over the years I have witnessed many families who inspire each other, and it is heartwarming and encouraging.”

Kris intended to become a nurse but switched majors in college and became an accountant. She still feels that pull to care for others and following treatment for breast cancer, she knew she wanted to give back specifically to Northwestern Medicine.

“Northwestern Medicine saved my life. A radiologist at Delnor’s Center for Breast Health was especially diligent and found my cancer very early when it could be treated without chemotherapy or radiation,” Kris said in the release. “I try to pay that same level of attention to the patients and families that I’m honored to support.”

Kris’ three children inherited her caregiving spirit. Her oldest daughter plans to become a physician assistant. A second daughter is attending nursing school and the youngest, Max, is thinking about a medical profession too, the release stated.

Max, a junior at Geneva High School, volunteers three hours a week as a wayfinder helping patients and visitors navigate the many hallways of Delnor Hospital. While assisting others, he is benefiting as well.

“Volunteering at Delnor has been a great experience for me,” Max stated in the release. “I meet many people who are anxious to see their family member and being able to talk with them while we walk to their location is very rewarding. Being in a hospital setting allows me to help others while getting a better understanding of the different departments within a hospital. It’s cool to see doctors and other health professionals in their work setting.”

Kris volunteers in interventional radiology, offering patients and family members snacks, water and warm blankets, or simply sitting with those who need some extra support. She says volunteering can be intense, but also very rewarding.

“As someone who has personal knowledge of how scary a medical diagnosis can be, I hope I can offer a smile and some hope to help patients through what may be a stressful period,” Kris said in the release.

In 2022, Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital had 155 volunteers who provided a total of 17,861 hours of service, an increase of 6,478 hours from 2021. However, even with the increase, Bender said there is a need for more volunteers, especially those that can fill weekday, daytime shifts.

“Every day, Northwestern Medicine volunteers touch the lives of patients, families and visitors. A helping hand and a warm heart can make a real difference in the experience people have in a hospital when they are visiting or receiving care,” she said in the release.

Northwestern Medicine volunteers must be at least 16 years of age (18 years of age at Northwestern Memorial Hospital). Volunteers must agree to a six-month commitment of at least three to four hours per week and provide immunization records.

For more information on volunteering at Northwestern Medicine please visit www.nm.org/patients-and-visitors/volunteer.