Aultman volunteer Norm Porter is known as “the cookie man” at Aultman Hospital, where he serves two days per week in the pharmacy and in the Emergency Department. Without fail, Norm arrives for his shift bearing an array of delectable home-baked treats, such as sugar cookies and oatmeal cookies, to share with Aultman staff.

Baking is a hobby that started when Norm’s now-adult children were very young. Annual Christmas cookies were a family affair: Norm’s wife Joan mixed the dough, Norm baked the cookies, and their children Jim and Katy decorated them.

As Norm’s interest in baking grew, he began experimenting with recipes himself. Baked goods became a way to open conversations and get to know people: “When I first went for training at the pharmacy, I told them that I bring cookies for every shift. They said, ‘You’re hired!’”

At the pharmacy, Norm assembles emergency packs, applies labels to containers and sends medication prepared by pharmacists to various departments in the hospital – all tasks that free up the pharmacists to focus on their vital roles as medication experts.

In the Emergency Department, Norm helps with housekeeping. He wipes down gurneys with disinfectant and covers them with fresh sheets, gathers bags of laundry to be washed and restocks closets with clean linens. He rounds out the day by handling filing tasks or sorting equipment such as blood pressure cuffs.

Norm retired from his career with Omnova Solutions, formerly the Chemical Plastics Division of General Tire, in 2015 when he was 72 years old. At its core, his job was about assisting others. “The greatest compliment I could receive was when customers sought me out to help them,” Norm said. He traveled the globe to assist customers in resolving technical issues.

The decision to retire was not an easy one for Norm, but the travel required for his career had become too difficult. Volunteering at a hospital was a perfect solution. “I enjoy staying busy, being on my feet all morning,” he said. “I especially enjoy talking to people and getting to know the nurses and medical staff.”

Norm is proud of his children. Jim is a software engineer for a West Coast company that builds launch vehicles and rockets. And a love of baking runs in the family – Katy owns and operates a bakery in Marysville, Ohio, specializing in pies, cookies and other treats made with all-natural local ingredients.

When he isn’t baking or volunteering, Norm loves to hike, although he isn’t able to hit the trails as often as he once did. He has fond memories of hikes with his young children, when the family earned commemorative medals through hiking programs in Summit County.

Today, he’s happy to make a difference at Aultman. “The joy in volunteering comes from knowing that I’m helping others,” Norm said. “I’m pleased to be able to handle jobs that allow the medical staff to focus on treating patients.”

And Norm’s time at Aultman Hospital gives him a creative outlet: “Volunteering gives me a reason to bake.”