Ernest Costilow has been a Kay Kafe bakery volunteer since April of 2010. During a typical shift, he assists bakers Denise Flynn and Becky Shorter-Wolfe by arranging biscuits and buns on trays.
For as long as he can remember, Costilow dreamed of volunteering at St. Jude. When he lost his wife to cancer in 2008, he decided to make that dream a reality.
“The first day I started volunteering at St. Jude, I learned a whole lot. Everything here is neat and organized, and the people are a joy to work with. During my orientation, a staffer told me I picked the most jolly place to volunteer, and it truly is.”
Costilow has been donating to St. Jude since 1984 and said volunteering has helped him see that the money he gave was well worth it.
“Volunteering here gives my life so much meaning,” Costilow says. Even though he doesn’t often directly interact with patients, his impact is felt across the hospital. He has even received cards from patients’ parents thanking him for volunteering and for his involvement at St. Jude.
Costilow says he loves volunteering at St. Jude so much that he is always glad to arrive, hates to leave, and plans to continue volunteering for as long as he can.