“I’ve been creating messes that other people have cleaned up for so long I thought it was time for me to start cleaning for others,” jokes Charlie S., a volunteer at Crescent Cove. Charlie is a Busy Bee volunteer and is also taking on an endurance event to raise money for Crescent Cove.

Charlie recently retired after working 29 years as a courier for FedEx Express and was looking for a volunteer opportunity to give back to the community. He first heard about Crescent Cove from his daughter-in-law, whose father had volunteered at our Home, and was encouraged to get involved by his friend Ted Bowman, a grief counselor who works with Crescent Cove staff and families.

As a Busy Bee volunteer, Charlie plays an integral role in managing the daily needs of our Home. On any given day he may be sweeping and mopping floors, sanitizing toys, or changing over a room to prepare it for the next child who is arriving.

“I am fortunate that all four of our children were blessed with good health. I’m doing my best to pay it forward,” Charlie says. He is looking forward to the birth of his first grandchild this summer.

Recently, Charlie arrived at Crescent Cove for his volunteer shift and was cleaning the floors of the living room as a large family was gathering. After mopping the floor, a young man was rolled out in a bed, and he realized that the family was staying at Crescent Cove for the end of their son’s life. This brought a lot more meaning to how important it was to have the floors cleaned. “My cleaning the floor for them was about the closest I could come to washing their feet,” he says. “It was truly special to be able to serve that family.”

Like many of our volunteers, Charlie contributes to our mission in multiple special ways. Charlie has been a lifelong swimmer and was interested in attempting the Point to La Pointe, a 2.1-mile swim from Bayfield, WI, to Madeline Island in Lake Superior. The pandemic and then an injury sidelined his plans for a while, but he has decided that 2023 is his year. He has been training by swimming in pools over the winter months and soon will be training in open water in a wetsuit. He hopes to raise $25,000 for Crescent Cove with his swim, which is on August 5, 2023.

“For anyone who is interested in doing a fundraiser, do what you know and shoot for the stars,” Charlie advises. “I hope my fundraiser is wildly successful.”

Thank you, Charlie, for all you do for Crescent Cove families!

Interested in volunteering? Learn more here and fill out our volunteer interest form. You can also start your own fundraiser, or, donate to Charlie's fundraiser today!