Inspired to serve: Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center's volunteers fill a critical role

May 26-At Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center, volunteers help nurses restock rooms, point visitors to patients' rooms and deliver meal trays.

Since its inception in 2005, Legacy Salmon Creek's volunteer program has seen more than 6,000 volunteers help the hospital through a variety of operational and patient-focused activities and responsibilities.

With her kids off to college, Laura Walsh found herself with an "empty nest" in 2009, so she became a volunteer. She said she wanted to give back to the community.

"What I didn't know was that I was going to get way more out of it than I could ever give, it was just an amazing experience," Walsh said. "We couldn't run this hospital without these volunteers, they're so greatly appreciated."

Now the program's manager, Walsh helps oversee volunteers who commit to 200 hours of community service through the hospital. Volunteers must first apply to the program and then attend a four-hour orientation covering the basics of working in a hospital, including infection prevention, privacy laws and customer service.

Volunteers are also required to complete a tuberculosis blood test. Shortly after, they receive their uniform and Legacy identification badge.

For 2026, 83 volunteers completed the onboarding process, with 79 remaining to be onboarded in the program.

John Scholten, 82, of Vancouver, began volunteering at Legacy Salmon Creek when his granddaughter was thinking about becoming a nurse. Scholten encouraged her to volunteer at the hospital to see if it was a career she wanted to pursue. He volunteered with her so she didn't feel alone.

Seventeen years later, she's a school teacher, but he's still volunteering.

"It gives you a purpose in life, and you wind up with a different identity," Scholten said. "We're allowed to do things that other volunteers in other hospitals don't have. We have a lot of latitude."

He said he's taken on a variety of responsibilities, including delivering mail between medical buildings and keeping track of inventory and equipment.

Ellen Mottola, 59, of Vancouver, began volunteering 11 years ago after her daughter joined the program's summer volunteer initiative for students entering high school.

"I had been wanting to give back to the community in some way and find a volunteer opportunity," Mottola said. "I saw what an excellent experience that she had with the program, and it totally encouraged me to come and check it out."

The summer program requires youth volunteers to complete 60 hours of service and gives them the opportunity to shadow healthcare professionals during a shift. The program offers up to 60 spots and fills quickly, Walsh said.

For longtime volunteers, like Mottola and Scholten, welcoming younger volunteers to the team gives them a chance to take the next generation under their wings. Typically timid at first, they see youth volunteers blossom into confident leaders.

"We get excited when the juniors come in because they're such a fun bunch, and they are very motivated," Mottola said.

Wendy Ha, a junior at Skyview High School, joined the summer volunteer program her sophomore year after her health science teacher shared the opportunity. She said longtime volunteers helped her come out of her shell and gave her a glimpse into a possible future in the medical field.

She now takes on that mentorship role with younger volunteers.

"It was definitely nerve-racking because since the hospital was so big to me at first, it was definitely hard navigating everything," Ha said. "It was outside my comfort zone, since I didn't have anyone that I know who was volunteering here. It was a big step in becoming more independent and taking the initiative or leadership to maybe find something that aligns me with something in the future."

Many youth who participate in the summer volunteer program go on to become yearlong volunteers.

Ridgefield High School senior Lucy Straub, who became a volunteer last year and is set to pursue a degree in neuroscience at Loyola University Chicago, said the program has been valuable in giving her access to mentors in healthcare.

"Being in a medical workplace has taught me a lot and helped me be prepared for what I will be doing in the future," Straub said. "I just find the nurses to be really inspiring, because they're all super hardworking and caring. Interacting with them keeps me inspired."

This story was made possible by Community Funded Journalism, a project from The Columbian and the Local Media Foundation. Top donors include the Ed and Dollie Lynch Fund, Patricia, David and Jacob Nierenberg, Connie and Lee Kearney, Steve and Jan Oliva, The Cowlitz Tribal Foundation and the Mason E. Nolan Charitable Fund. The Columbian controls all content. For more information, visit columbian.com/cfj.

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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 6:05 PM.