April Brought New Faces, Big Impact

Me: I’m so glad you and your colleagues came to volunteer with us. Volunteer: I don’t even know these people.

This caught me by surprise.

At The Store, we’re used to (and so grateful for!) teams coming from churches, community groups, and companies—hoping to strengthen relationships among their teams while also giving back.

So when this volunteer said she didn’t know any of the people she was volunteering with, I was a little taken aback.

Then she clarified, smiling:

"Yeah, we don't even know each other. We all came from different departments—different parts of HCA: the corporate offices, different hospitals."

And then I remembered—April was HCA Healthcare's Community Days.

This month, The Store has been filled with new faces and new energy through HCA’s Community Days—volunteers coming from every corner of their organization to serve our neighbors with kindness, care, and dignity.

Many of these volunteers were meeting for the first time right here, in the middle of our grocery store aisles.

And yet, within just a few hours, you would have thought they had been teammates for years.

Some were working side-by-side, bagging groceries for our customers (carefully making sure not to put the milk on top of the eggs!).

Others were restocking shelves as families picked through the fresh produce—keeping the bounty beautiful and ready.

Still others served as shopper assistants, walking alongside first-time customers, helping them navigate the store and pick out fresh, healthy, family-friendly items.

At The Store, shopping isn't just about food.

It’s about dignity, choice, and a warm, supportive experience for every neighbor—and volunteers help make that possible.

What struck me that day—and many days this month—is that the volunteers weren’t just helping to create powerful experiences for our customers.

They were building something for themselves, too.

By the time they wrapped up their shift, they weren’t strangers connected only by an org chart.

They were teammates linked by shared service, shared laughter, small moments of learning, and a mission that matters.

When they return to their offices, they’ll carry more than a memory.

They’ll carry a story of connection—to each other, to their own work, and to a community that now feels just a little closer.

And the next time a project needs cross-functional collaboration?

I’d bet they’ll pick up the phone a little quicker—because they’re not calling a stranger anymore.

It reminded me: When people show up to serve others, they often leave having strengthened themselves—their teams, their organizations, and their own sense of purpose.

I love that a simple shift at The Store can turn strangers into teammates—and help build a community that truly includes everyone.

(And thank you Michelle Rowe, Dana Patel, and Whitney Weeks for inviting The Store to be a part of HCA’s Community Days!)