Anita Bonar

Some people just have a heart for doing for others. Anita Bonar is one of those people.
Bonar and her Golden Retriever, Tripper, can change a day from bad to good when they visit Methodist Specialty Care Center. They do pet therapy for Methodist residents two Sunday afternoons each month. “They face many challenges in their daily lives,” Bonar said of the residents. “However, they exhibit levels of character and determination that all of us should emulate in our own lives.” Receiving Methodist’s Volunteer Spirit Award has been a humbling experience for Bonar. When asked what she has taken from her experiences at Methodist, Bonar said it is the joy she gets seeing the residents feel joy. “A smile is priceless, and time is the most important gift anyone can share with another individual,” she said. Bonar, an administrative assistant at The Walker Companies, plans to continue pet therapy visits with Tripper for many more years. She and Tripper also visit other area assisted living residences and nursing homes throughout the year. Bonar also has another dog that she is training to be certified through Therapy Dog International. She lives by the powerful words of Sir Winston Churchill: “We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.”

Angela Groves makes it a priority to give back, whether it’s to an individual in need or to an organization in her community. That priority helped her become a recent recipient of Methodist Specialty Care Center’s Volunteer Spirit Award.“I have always had an innate desire to be of service to others,” said Groves, who works for Medicaid. “Words cannot express what this award mean to me simply because of what it represents. It's priceless!” Groves officially began volunteering at Methodist in December 2010. She had just completed obligations for a class at Jackson State University, which required her to serve a set number of hours at Methodist. Groves said continuing to serve at Methodist has made her even more humble, and it has increased her desire to continue helping others. “I find it gratifying that I am making a difference in the lives of others,” she said. “This is my passion. There is nothing more important to me than giving.”

Giving back isn’t anything new to Brook Atkinson, an accounting manager in Revenue & Payments at Cellular South. “The award was very touching and so unexpected,” says Atkinson, who has been volunteering at MSCC for almost five years now. Atkinson has taken much away from the experience of volunteering. She now looks at Robby Scucchi, director of Volunteer Services, as a dear friend and a true inspiration. “Robby was very adamant about me stopping by, even if it was for a few minutes, so for them to create this award and to even consider me for it was such an honor,” she says. “It means more than they will ever know!” Atkinson has involvement in many different volunteer and community-based programs such as Junior Auxiliary of Rankin County and Crown Club Girls. Shas introduced these groups to MSCC, where they put on several fun events for the residents. Atkinson has always had a heart for others, which is what drives her to give back; it just come naturally. “There is a special place in my heart for several of the residents,” Atkinson says. “I expect to have lifelong lasting relationships with quite a few of the members from MSCC.”

Brittany Ector, a graduating senior at Millsaps College, takes being a volunteer to the fullest. Ector help residents with daily chores and also help Robby Scucchi in the office with clerical work. Working at MSCC has been Ector’s first faithful volunteer activity on a regular basis. Working there has taught her a lot. Ector realizes that the smallest thing you do can mean the most to others. “The most important thing that I will take away from this experience is being happy with life, my life,” says Ector, who is from Hattiesburg, Miss. “Everyone is not as fortunate as I have been, and taking advantage of living a happy life has become a top priority.” Receiving the Volunteer Spirit Award was an absolute honor and a complete surprise to Ector. “My parents have always told me that someone is always watching, and that what you do never goes unnoticed or unrewarded,” she says. “Being presented with this award was simply a confirmation of what my parents have always said.” Ector’s biggest motivation for volunteering is the satisfaction for those helped. She plans to continue to give back and volunteer at MSCC as long as she is in the Jackson area.