Trio volunteers for 40 years at VA hospital

Sam Jeffers of Winston attended a meeting some 40 years ago in which the speaker asked veterans to become volunteers to serve their fellow veterans at the Roseburg Veterans Affairs Hospital. Sam thought it was a good idea so he made that proposal to the Veterans of Foreign Wars membership.

The male membership also thought it was a good idea, but not one joined him when he signed up as a volunteer at the Roseburg VA. But about 12 members of the VFW Women’s Auxiliary did, including his wife, Marian. One of the other women from the auxiliary who began as a volunteer was Jean Bartholomew of Oakland. All three remain active volunteers.

The trio and the Jefferses’ dog, Buffy Macho Boy, a Shih Tzu, are still volunteering after 40 years and, with the exception of Macho Boy, all three are the longest, continuous volunteers at the VA. Macho Boy, however, is a card carrying volunteer, registered as a VA volunteer complete to his official identity badge, with his pug face prominently displayed.

The Jefferses brought Macho Boy to the VA when he was only 3 months old and since that time, Sam claims Macho Boy is better known than is Sam around the sprawling hospital campus. “I am known as the man with the dog,” he said.

Sam, 84, is a World War II Army vet who served with the 385th anti-aircraft artillery in Europe He has a bit more seniority as a volunteer on Macho Boy. He has just completed 13,000 hours of volunteer duty at the VA, where he still spends six or more hours three times a week. Marian has logged only 9,846 hours to date, but she explains she had to spend some of her time raising children. Jean has contributed 10,189 hours of volunteer time.

Today, all three are VFW volunteers in the clothing room at the VA, a vital service that provides clothing for the hospitalized veterans and for any veteran in need, especially the homeless veteran. The busiest time is during the winter months when the volunteers provide warm clothing to the veterans.

Most of the clothing is donated. The clothing is all freshly laundered, sorted by size, and stored in cupboards or on clothing racks. The clothing room also provides comfort items for the veterans, such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes and combs. It is one of the busiest places on the campus.

“After you have spent the day helping veterans, you go home a bit tired, but feeling good about having served a veteran,” Sam said.

The VFW shares clothing room staffing duty with American Legion volunteers.

“I only work in the clothing room two days a week,” Marian said. “Sam does it three days a week and the two of us always attend special events to help out. About the only time we get a day off is when the VA campus is closed on a Monday for a federal holiday.”

She adds, but “when Sam isn’t there, he is miserable and says he has nothing to do.”

The Roseburg VA is planning a 75th anniversary celebration this month with many different events to tell the history of the hospital that has been part of Douglas County since 69 residents of the Oregon Soldiers Home in Roseburg were transferred to the new brick facility which then served as both a domiciliary and a hospital.

There have been many changes to the hospital campus in those 75 years, and these three long-term volunteers have seen many of those changes.

“When we first started,” Jean said, “the volunteers were mostly involved in social activities with the veterans. We had dances in the auditorium. We had card games and other activities for the patients.”

Sam said he was thinking about retiring as a volunteer, but Marian quickly offered, “He will never do it because after 40 years, he’d be lost without having something to do. So as long as he keeps going, I’ll be beside him.”

Jean said she thought she’d give it another 10 years to round out having served 50 years of service as a VA volunteer.

Add up all their years of service to veterans and you have 120 and counting.