Volunteers become close friends while bringing cheer to hospital

Becky Campos, Miros Jensen and Lourdes Martinez all came to the Edinburg Children's Hospital to help others. But they never expected they would find friendship there as well.

"I feel that God put us all together," said Campos, who is the president-elect of the Edinburg Children's Hospital auxiliary.

Every Tuesday, Jensen and Martinez greet patients and visitors and direct them where they need to go while Campos runs the gift kiosk located across from the information desk in the lobby. Martinez also serves as a volunteer chaplain, praying with patients and their families when they ask.

"I want to help people," said Martinez, who is a certified chaplain.

They also make time to joke around with each other, as well as with the other volunteers and their manager, Javier Cavazos.

"Their personalities are very infectious," Cavazos said. "It's great to see what they do with the patients."

The women also boost morale among the volunteers and cheer up Cavazos, he said.

"I don't feel like I'm working (when the women are volunteering)," he said. "I feel like I'm having fun."

The three also try to spend time together outside the hospital. They go to lunch, visit each other at home and shop together.
"We've even gone to (South Padre) Island," Campos said.

The women, who all started volunteering shortly after the children's hospital opened in 2006, said they didn't know what to make of each other at first because their lives were so different.

Jensen helped her husband with his frozen foods business and took care of their daughter, Campos worked for the McAllen school district for 30 years as the maintenance department's secretary, and Martinez helped run a Bible college and worked for a radio station.

But they quickly took to each other, and they even call to check up on one another if one of them doesn't show up to volunteer on any given day.

"We have a good time and we miss each other," Jensen said.

Jennifer L. Berghom covers education and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462.