Herrick and Graff have volunteered Thursday evenings since January 2007 at The Children’s Hospital in The Block, a unique program aimed at providing teenage patients and their siblings with a chance for a bit of normalcy in their lives during a time when life for them is anything but normal. While many of the hospital’s programs are focused on its younger patients, The Block, which was created by an advisory board of alumni teenage patients, is dedicated to patients over the age of 13.

    Herrick describes The Block as a “hang-out place”—a recreational space where teens can enjoy everything from video games and movies to board games and Internet access. Both Herrick and Graff describe how they enjoy the opportunity to interact with the teens one on one. “I think it’s an incredible way to give back, enabling a kid to have some laughs during their stay,” explains Herrick, emphasizing that giving a child a sense of normalcy is their ultimate goal.

    Herrick, a Senior Manager of Business Planning at Map Quest, has a very personal reason for volunteering with Children’s Hospital. Her seven-year-old cousin, Nico has Cystic Fibrosis, and he spends a lot of time at the hospital in Ohio where he lives. “It’s important to me, putting a smile on a child’s face, just as I hope someone back in Ohio is doing the same for my cousin,” she says.

   Graff has also had first-hand experience with the important role volunteers can play. When his father suffered a traumatic brain injury after a fall in 1998, his family spent a lot of time at the hospital where his father was a patient. It was then that he realized the need for volunteers to help patients and their families during difficult times. “Whether you’re a patient or a member of a patient’s family, it’s very beneficial to step away from what’s going on and try to have a normal life with normal activities,” Graff explains.

This compassionate couple emphasizes that they especially enjoy the hands-on aspect of volunteering with The Block. They first became involved with Children’s through The Young Fund—a group of young professionals who support patients and their families through advocacy, fundraising and volunteering. While both sit on the board of directors of The Young Fund (he is the treasurer and she is the secretary) and continue to participate in its activities; they became involved in The Block when they decided they wanted to work more directly with patients. Their role at The Block is to introduce new patients to what the program has to offer and invite them to participate. If patients can’t come to The Block or prefer to stay in their rooms, Herrick and Graff bring activities like movies, books or arts and crafts to them. Herrick fondly recalls one patient who looked forward to lengthy weekly games of Monopoly and Candyland with them.

    When hearing the two of them describe the enjoyment they receive through their involvement in this meaningful program, it’s obvious that they both give a lot of themselves as volunteers. But they are quick to point out that what they receive in return makes it worthwhile. Graff feels that just the simple thank you from parents who appreciate his volunteering is reward enough. When asked what is most gratifying for her, Herrick doesn’t hesitate, “Honestly, every Thursday night when I leave knowing I helped to put a smile on a kid’s face, and could help them forget what is going on around them for a little while,” she says.

    While it’s not always easy to coordinate volunteer time with their busy schedules, Graff and Herrick have devoted Thursday nights for The Block. Volunteering simply requires commitment and a little organization, according to Herrick, “Life is about organization. You look at your schedule, at what you need to do and work around it. You make it work.” DL

For more information or to apply to be a volunteer call the volunteer department at 303.861.6887 or visit thechildrenshospital.org/give/volunteer

For more information about The Young Fund visit theyoungfund.org or e-mail questions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it