Lavita McKinzie believes she is receiving as many blessings from her volunteer work with CGH Auxiliary as she gives.

McKinzie is a familiar face at the front desk of CGH Medical Center in Sterling.

“Some of the people who are coming in are really nervous and scared, so we try to make things light by talking to them. I think it’s more of a blessing for me than it is for them,” McKinzie said.

She was inspired to volunteer with the CGH Auxiliary, the volunteer corps that works throughout CGH Medical Center in a variety of jobs, when her husband, William, decided to volunteer with the group.

“I couldn’t find a job because of my age. I didn’t want to sit home all day. My husband started with the auxiliary, and so I went over and applied,” McKinzie said.

McKinzie has been a volunteer with the auxiliary for 13 years and has racked up more than 3,300 hours of service.

“I just love working with people and knowing that I am there and helping them through something. I enjoy that so much, just being with people,” she said.

McKinzie said she views volunteering as a way to keep active in body and mind.

“My big thing, at this point, is keeping my mind working, because of all of the physical problems I can come up with just lying around doing nothing. I don’t do the amount of walking I used to, but this gives me exercise, and it keeps my mind active, and that’s important,” she said.

As for how long she intends to volunteer, “as long as I can keep up,” McKinzie said with her best front desk smile.

The auxiliary’s front desk volunteers and greeters are a patient’s first interaction at the hospital and McKinzie said her first rule is “always a smile.”

“We are their first contact,” she said.

For those who might not feel comfortable in a public-facing role, McKinzie said the auxiliary has a variety of jobs behind the scenes.

“We can use anybody of any age. We have so many ways to volunteer, different hours and you can put in as much time as you want to or are able to,” she said.

Staci Shaffer, CGH volunteer services manager, said the auxiliary is scheduling volunteers Monday through Friday. Volunteers can choose from jobs that fit their abilities and skills, from greeting patients and escorting them to their appointments to working in the CGH gift shop to making blood drive phone calls.

“We do try, as much as we can, to work with our volunteers to figure out what fits best for them and for us,” Shaffer said.

McKinzie said on-the-job training is provided for all volunteers.

“You have a person who will train you and someone who is with you the first few times you work, depending on how comfortable you are with the job, and that’s for every volunteer job,” she said.

As for challenges of the job, McKinzie doesn’t really see any.

“I don’t think any of it is a challenge. If there is, it would be making sure that I am saying the right things to be encouraging, and that comes naturally as you do the job,” she said.