Diane Karriker

2018 Servant’s Heart Award Winner

Diane Karriker is a perfect example of what it means to have a servant’s heart. As a volunteer, she has logged more than 14,000 hours, or an average of about 1,400 hours per year, since she began volunteering at Smyth County Community Hospital and Frances Marion Manor Health & Rehabilitation in Marion, Virginia.

 She works at the front desk, provides activities for patients and runs the hospital gift shop four days each week. Team members, patients and visitors alike enjoy Diane’s smiling face and cheerful attitude. Many times she’ll stay for both morning and afternoon volunteer shifts when there are vacancies in the schedule.

 She’s also a tremendous asset for the rest of the volunteers. She often provides rides to those who don’t drive, makes sure they can attend any official volunteer event, and serves as an officer in the Smyth County Community Hospital auxiliary board – all in addition to her regular shifts.

 Here are just a few examples of her many acts of kindness:

• She knew of a team member whose husband had recently passed away. There was a coat in the gift shop that the team member liked, so Diane recruited fellow volunteers to help her buy the coat and give it to the team member.
• She helped sit with a friend’s father who was in the hospital suffering from a brain bleed, and she gave the family food and grocery gift cards.
• She came to the ICU before her shift and on her off days to visit and help feed a fellow volunteer who was a patient.
• She worked with a ladies group at her church to collect and donate body wash to residents at Francis Marion Manor.
• She serves as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army.

 Diane is a very giving and generous person, always thinking of others above herself. Because she has the heart of a servant, she never passes up an opportunity be a blessing to others.

Our current Servant’s Heart Award winners
Our 2018 Servant’s Heart Award winners