Share Yourself with Others and You Will Be Blessed

How one volunteer makes a difference at Fort Sanders Regional

Adrian Davis-Bell has always had a heart for volunteering. From delivering meals to those in need and helping at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, she regularly finds ways to be a source of joy for others.

Davis-Bell began volunteering at the hospital in 2021 when volunteers were welcomed back after the first waves of the Covid pandemic. An active volunteer in Knoxville pre-pandemic, she was looking for a new way to give back to the community and found Fort Sanders Regional.

“As soon as I started volunteering at Regional, I just felt at home,” says Davis-Bell. “I felt needed and useful.”

Davis-Bell initially began volunteering one day a week at the information desk and gift shop. She now volunteers three days a week at the information desk, pre-surgery waiting room and the surgical lounge. At the information desk, she helps answer questions for patients and visitors and either takes them or directs them to their destination. In pre-surgery, she helps patients with check-in and helps prepare them and their loved ones for the surgical process. In the surgical lounge, she provides updates to families and loved ones who are waiting on someone in surgery and helps them feel calm.

“My favorite part of volunteering is the people,” says Davis-Bell. “I enjoy helping them and getting to talk with them, or when I get to see loved ones reunite with the surgery patient.

“Every day I say a prayer to be genuine and be there for patients and their families. It’s a small part of their day, but I think about the impact I have in it. There is something about stepping away from your own problems and being there for others.”

“Adrian uses her personal experiences to relate to others in multiple ways,” says Dougherty. “Her dedication to being an active volunteer makes her contributions even more impactful.”

Another favorite aspect of her volunteer work at Fort Sanders Regional is helping deliver “Random Acts of Flowers” to patients. With the help of compassionate volunteers like Davis-Bell, this community program delivers recycled flowers from events such as weddings or corporate luncheons to patients at area hospitals, including Fort Sanders Regional.

“You get to tell these patients that someone is thinking of them today and hear their stories, which is really enriching,” she says.

Davis-Bell encourages others to give volunteering a chance, even if you’ve never volunteered before. She adds that you can start with one day a week, then do more if you have the time and enjoy it.

“Fort Sanders Regional really wants you to enjoy yourself as a volunteer. They’ll figure out who you are and what your strengths are to place you in the right area,” explains Davis-Bell. “They are also open to your ideas on ways to improve the volunteer experience.

“I wouldn’t trade volunteering for the world,” says Davis-Bell. “With volunteering, you put your whole heart into it without expecting anything in return. You get to step outside of yourself and see someone else’s side, which is so refreshing. If you share yourself with others, you will be blessed.”

Learn more about our volunteer opportunities here.