Cindi Walker’s last name may give her away.
She likes to keep moving.
And volunteering at Spectrum Health helps her set the pace.
On a recent sunny weekday, according to her Fitbit, she traveled about 10,000 steps, moving between the stock room and the Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital and Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital gift shops.
She assists buyers, sorts merchandise, stocks shelves and serves as a gift store clerk when needed.
“I’m kind of a jack-of-all-trades,” she said while straightening colorful women’s jackets at the Butterworth gift shop. “I do whatever needs to be done.”
Walker, 67, has volunteered for 14 years and served as president of the Sallie Bender Guild, which funds many Spectrum Health projects and also operates the Butterworth and Helen DeVos Children’s hospital gift shops.
“I just enjoy the end result—we make money to support the two hospitals,” Walker said. “That’s why I do it. I can’t believe I’ve been in it so long.”
The guild, named after early Butterworth Hospital activist Sallie Bender, has about 90 members.
“I just can’t tell you how great the organization is,” Walker said. “The ladies in it are all very dedicated. I believe that we really do contribute a lot.”
Walker assisted with buying for the gift shops in the past, and “that was so much fun,” she said.
“We have a group of fantastic buyers,” said Walker, who holds the title of “shop chair.”
And fantastic buyers purchase fantastic products, which in turn, sell well. All gift shop profits go back into the Sallie Bender Guild account and board members choose where they want the money to go. All proceeds benefit the hospital in some way through the Spectrum Health Foundation.
In a recent five-year span, the Sallie Bender guild donated a $1.5 million endowment to pediatric oncology research. The guild kicked in $1 million to help build the children’s hospital and also contributed a sizeable amount to the Lena Meijer Heart Center.
“I’m feeling like I’m making a difference in the community by helping donate money back to the hospital and back to research,” the Cascade resident said. “The big thing is I like donating back to research because I think that helps a lot.”
Walker spends three or four days a week volunteering.
“It just depends on what’s going on,” she said.
Once a month she hosts a planning board meeting where all the buyers meet.
Popular items include framed pictures with LED lights, stylish clothing, garden decorations and hand creams.
“It’s just a nice variety that we sell,” Walker said.
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