2019 AtlantiCare Foundation Annual Report on Giving

Marie Her mission is making your day

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Gifts of time equaled 22,000 volunteer hours given by our 270 loyal and committed volunteers and 1,500 hours through our Day of Service program where close to 400 compassionate businesses and individuals lent a hand through our community outreach initiatives.

Marie Jerdan of Absecon likes to challenge herself. It’s a little game she plays, volunteering at the reception desk at ARMC Mainland, Tuesday mornings. “I see a little glint in another’s eye and I know I can make them smile. Walking into the hospital, people can get a little apprehensive. If I can make a joke, get them to smile, then I brightened their day a little,” Marie says. She helps visitors, patients looking for outpatient services, pretty much anybody who comes to the desk in need of information or directions. “It’s important to give back, however you can. It makes me a better person. And I love it. Tuesday is my vacation day, away from the chaos of home,” she says. She has been practicing her people skills at Mainland for over 20 years. Not that she needs much practice. Being funny and nice comes naturally. “I’m definitely a people person,” she says. Her volunteer history goes back even further. As a teenager, she was a candy striper at her hometown hospital in Atlantic City. “You can always count on Marie for a funny story and a laugh,” says Maria Bocelle, AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Volunteer Supervisor. “She is a dedicated volunteer with a personality and quick wit that bring joy to all who meet her,” she says.

“If I can make a joke, get them to smile, then I brightened their day a little.”

8 ANNUAL REPORT ON GIVING