April, National Volunteer Month, is a time to honor and celebrate volunteers! For his entire adult life, Dan Schwitzgable has been an active volunteer, beginning in college with a service-focused fraternity and expanding to Aultman Hospital about six years ago.

Two days per week, Dan is an amiable, hardworking helper in the pharmacy and in the Emergency Department at Aultman Hospital, where he handles tasks that help keep those areas running smoothly.

Getting Involved

Dan’s journey as a lifelong volunteer started with his fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi. Established in 1852 after a typhoid epidemic swept through Jefferson College in Pennsylvania, Phi Kappa Psi was founded on the philosophy of the great joy of serving others.

Dan has carried that philosophy with him since he joined the organization. After college, he continued serving the fraternity at conferences and as an advisor to the University of Akron Chapter. He now serves as secretary/treasurer of the fraternity’s national Order of the S.C.

His journey as a volunteer at Aultman began after a conversation with his primary care provider. Feeling less active after retirement, Dan was looking for ways to get involved. His provider suggested a part-time job or a volunteer role.

Thinking of his fraternity’s founders who helped provide care to their classmates during the epidemic, Dan chose Aultman Hospital.

Serving at Aultman Hospital

Dan started in the mailroom at Aultman Hospital, then switched to the Emergency Department. There, he restocks unoccupied patient rooms with fresh linens, gowns, protective gloves and other materials and gathers used linens to be laundered.

Dan later added the pharmacy to his volunteer responsibilities. His primary role is to send medications, prepared by the pharmacists, to various areas of the hospital using pneumatic tubes. He pitches in on other tasks such as applying safety labels to vials – anything that allows pharmacists to focus on medication.

One of Dan’s favorite aspects of volunteering is working with Aultman staff. “The pharmacy is fun,” he said. “We work hard but also have great camaraderie.” With the Emergency Department, Dan appreciates knowing that his efforts make a difference.

Making Retirement Meaningful

Dan began his career in mechanical engineering, a field he first entered because he loved to draw. In his job, Dan designed conveyor systems for warehouses and distribution centers – handling everything from assessing the client’s needs to designing, implementing and testing the systems.

“Nothing was more satisfying than seeing my designs being built,” he said. “I ordered the materials, worked with the installers, tested the systems, trained the managers and stayed on site until everything worked exactly the way they wanted.”

His job gave him the opportunity to travel throughout the United States. He retired early about 15 years ago. His wife Bonny retired several years later from her position as director of therapy services at an outpatient therapy clinic.

Now Dan and Bonny, who live at Atwood Lake, travel throughout the world. Last year, they took a train across Canada, from Toronto to Jasper to Vancouver, marveling at the grandeur of the Canadian Rockies and the beauty of the nation’s Pacific coast.

A favorite trip was a cruise on the Seine River in France. “When we were docked in Paris, we had breakfast on the deck – and the Eiffel Tower was right there,” Dan said. That trip was particularly meaningful, as they also visited the site of the Allied invasion of Normandy in World War II.

Of all the things he treasures about retirement, Dan takes great joy in serving at Aultman. “I truly love volunteering because I know that I am helping,” he said. “If the volunteers were not there, someone’s time would be taken away from seeing patients or preparing medications.”

Visit Volunteering at Aultman for more information on how to become an essential part of the Aultman team as a volunteer.