Palomar Pomerado Health Centers Medical Group Inc.

07/01/2021 | Press release | Archived content

90-Year-Old Volunteers Glad to Be Back in the Office

90-Year-Old Volunteers Glad to Be Back in the Office


07.01.2021

Working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a benefit for many who haven't had to fight traffic or dress in heels or ties. Conversely, for two 90-year-old Palomar Health volunteers, coming back to work has been a blessing.

Ann Wrobel and Wanda Tantlinger are now coming into the office for the first time since March 2020 after more than 14 months without seeing their Palomar Health Home Health family.

'It's very nice to be back and see all the people again,' Tantlinger said. 'We really missed them.'

'I just enjoyed coming back to be with people again; they have treated us royally,' Wrobel said, proudly wearing an identification badge that shows she's volunteered more than 10,500 hours at Palomar Health.

Wrobel and Tantlinger assemble 102 Home Health patient admissions booklets each Thursday, side-by-side in the Home Health offices. Both began with Home Health four years ago. Wrobel first started as a Palomar Health volunteer in 1985 after retiring as a bank officer and moving to San Diego County. Tantlinger started at the old downtown hospital after her husband passed away in 2012.

Both say they enjoy volunteering because they feel like they are making a difference, something the Home Health leaders echo.

Wrobel was actually able to continue assembling the books on her own throughout the pandemic inside her garage, but Tantlinger lives in a retirement community and was discouraged from leaving her home. While they were able to stay in touch via phone, they didn't see each other in person for more than a year until they celebrated their mutual birthday at a restaurant in April. Now they're glad to be back in the office on a regular schedule.

'We survived,' Tantlinger said.

Note: Palomar Health is slowly re-integrating volunteers back into operations and not all volunteer opportunities are currently available. To learn more please visit our volunteer page.

Photo caption: Ann Wrobel (right) and Wanda Tantlinger (left) have collectively volunteered at Palomar Health for almost 45 years.


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