Gloria Rzyczycki has been a familiar face at Broward Health Coral Springs since 2020 when she started volunteering in the hospital’s gift shop. Now 80, the Parkland resident handles all the buying, manages the staff and keeps day-to-day operations running smoothly, drawing on decades of retail experience. What began as a single volunteer shift has now turned into two or three days a week.

“It’s a good job to have and not get paid,” she said with a laugh. But her reason for volunteering runs deeper than the work. She is drawn to the families who wander in during hard moments. A friendly conversation, she said, makes them feel better and does the same for her.

Moving to Florida was an adjustment for Gloria, and volunteering gave her back a sense of belonging. “One of the wonderful things about volunteering is the friends that you make,” she said, “it really enhances your life.”