A spirit of joyful giving filled the air at UT Southwestern’s annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon on Saturday, April 26. The audience broke out with a round of celebratory applause and smiles as Sherri Wood Cooper, Manager of Volunteer Services, announced the number of volunteers and the total hours donated this past year, which greatly surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

Sherri Wood Cooper, Manager of Volunteer Services, shares a hug with one of the more than 1,800 current volunteers.

“Amazingly, we now have about 1,800 volunteers, more than double what we had before COVID,” Ms. Wood Cooper said. “Back then, our goal was to someday reach 1,000 enrolled. It’s truly amazing how people have chosen to give of their time and energy to help us serve our patients and staff.”

About 60 of those volunteers met in the John and Ginny Eulich Pavilion at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital (CUH) for the event. There, members of the group chatted about their experiences and inspirations.

“I think a lot of people saw how important UT Southwestern is to this community during the pandemic,” Ms. Wood Cooper said. “They may have had family members who came here for care or received care themselves. They’re grateful for that, and now they want to give something back.”

Therapy dog Callie wore her finest tiara to the volunteer gathering. She brings smiles to the faces of patients and team members alike when she makes her rounds at UT Southwestern clinical facilities.

Also responsible for the soaring numbers is the diversification of the volunteer force to include younger participants. While volunteers in many cases are retired senior citizens with extra time to donate, there has been increased interest in UT Southwestern’s Summer Youth Programs, according to Ms. Wood Cooper. A total of 272 students have applied for 60 available spots as summer volunteers. Teenagers who volunteer often are aspiring doctors, nurses, and techs of the future. And sometimes these youth enjoy giving so much they become lifetime UTSW volunteers.

Aryan Verma was a member of Comets HELP, a collaboration between UT Dallas Honors College and the UTSW Geriatrics Division in which UTD premed students work with the elderly inpatient unit at CUH. The recent UTD graduate begins studies at UT Southwestern this fall. As his career advances, Mr. Verma’s passion for volunteering has grown stronger. He sits on the Volunteer Service Advisory Committee and was just recognized by the DFW Hospital Council Foundation as a 2025 nominee for Volunteer of the Year.

Aryan Verma speaks about how rewarding being a UTSW volunteer has been. He began giving his time as a Comets HELP volunteer while attending UT Dallas. This fall he will begin studies at UT Southwestern Medical School.

“To me, volunteering is being innovative, building long-term relationships, and learning how to grow and serve the community,” Mr. Verma said during the luncheon. “I’ve made connections with people on a deeper level than I could have imagined, and it inspires me every day.”

Some volunteers are full-time UT Southwestern employees who want to give more during their free time.

Volunteer Cherry Harper was inspired to give her time to UTSW patients in October 2023 following her husband Grady’s battle with cancer, making the two-hour drive from her home in Paris, Texas.

“I volunteer as a patient advocate at UT Southwestern’s Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center and at Clements (University) Hospital,” Ms. Harper said. “I advise everyone to volunteer because it leads to a life that’s a little better. He came here because I wanted him to be treated by the best doctors, and this is a hospital of hope. I’ve met a lot of people as a patient advocate, and I hope that I’ve made a little bit of a difference in their lives.”

The volunteer programs aren’t only popular with people who feel they want to help. As word spreads about the good work volunteers do, it has caused an increase in the number of departments asking for assistance: from 55 in 2023 to 68 in 2024.

Volunteer Services leaders and some of the volunteers gather for a celebratory photo at the luncheon.

UT Southwestern’s volunteer program began in 1943 with the creation of the St. Paul Auxiliary, whose members compiled supplies for UTSW’s former St. Paul University Hospital. Today, volunteers support patients at CUH, Zale Lipshy Pavilion, Simmons Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Monty and Tex Moncrief Medical Center at Fort Worth, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Frisco, and UT Southwestern Medical Center at RedBird, comforting them by talking and listening, reading, playing games, or bringing them a drink if they’re thirsty. They also assist by assembling packets and tackling administrative or customer service tasks such as answering phones, assisting with wayfinding, and sorting mail, thereby freeing up caregivers to focus on their work.

In addition to enjoying a celebratory meal and a slice of cake, several of the volunteers in attendance were honored for their long-term dedication to the program. The following volunteers were recognized for achieving remarkable service milestones:

• 500 hours: Roland Pedevilia, Sharon Pedevilia, Ruth “Star” Peterson, Carla Ratcliff, George “Bill” Woster
• 1,000 hours: Alan Jacob and Joseph Riegel
• 1,500 hours: Gary Billingsley and Stephen Zavadsky
• 5 years: Carla Ratcliff, Jerry Richardson, Leigh Taylor, Bradley Waters, Franklin Webb, George “Bill” Woster
• 15 years: Todd Laycock