Her polite smile and humble personality exudes warmth and for 12 years, many have experienced the special warmth from Vaughan Regional Medical Center’s volunteer Inez Piper.

As a volunteer every Tuesday afternoon, most can find Piper inside the hospital’s gift shop arranging merchandise or taking orders. And when she’s not inside the gift shop, she is praying for a patient as the hospital auxiliary’s chaplain or telling visitors where patients’ rooms are located.

“I’m used to dealing with people,” Piper said, who retired from J.C. Penney before starting with Vaughan. “And I love people and I enjoy my job … I stay busy with my duties.”

Piper also pushes a juice cart filled with orange, apple and grape juice and water, around to patients with assistant and volunteer Dorothy Bennett, who said the pair make a good team.

“We enjoy doing that,” Piper said smiling. “It makes you feel so good. That’s why I keep coming back (volunteering).”

What does Piper love most about her job? Helping others.

“We’re dealing with people who have sick loved ones and if we can help them regardless of the situation, it always pays off,” Piper said. “I have so many people that come to me and say, ‘thank you for being kind to me because I wasn’t so kind to you.’”

When she’s not volunteering, Piper enjoys doing yard work.

“Just as long as it’s digging in dirt — it doesn’t matter,” Piper said chuckling. “That is my therapy. I (also) give tours at Sturdivant Hall (and) play the piano at Homewood Assisted Living.”

A widow, Piper was married to her husband, John, for 30 years. Piper has one daughter, Vickie, and two granddaughters, Emily and Jennifer, who all live in Tampa.