Debra and Daniel Heller

Volunteer Spotlight. Debra and Daniel Heller

Repair the world.

Debbie and Dan Heller (pictured here with daughter, Sara) actively support their community in many ways. They are longtime donors to the hospital, and Debbie has been a dedicated volunteer here since 2017.

Hutington Hospital is an important part of Debra (Debbie) Heller’s life. She is one of our dedicated volunteers, and she and her husband, Daniel (Dan), have been donors for years. They made their first gift in 2010, and later decided to significantly increase their giving in 2014 after Debbie had a positive experience as a patient. “When I got home,” she says, “we knew we wanted to do something for the doctors, nurses and hospital staff who do so much for the community.”

Making an impact.

Debbie worked for MUFG Union Bank for 38 years, with roles in lending, product management and credit training, before retiring in 2016. It was while working for the bank that she met Dan, who later retired from Wells Fargo Bank in 2019. Along the way, the couple got married, had two children and will be celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary later this year.

Throughout their lives, the couple has actively supported their community, and is inspired by tikkun olam, a concept in Judaism rooted in the value of repairing the world through acts of kindness. This belief has led them to be dedicated volunteers at their synagogue, Temple Sinai of Glendale, where they have been members for more than 30 years. Dan is currently executive vice president of Temple Sinai of Glendale’s board of directors and Debbie serves as chair of the synagogue’s endowment fund. After he retired, Dan also began donating his time preparing tax returns for underserved residents of the greater Pasadena area.

Debbie first began volunteering at the hospital in 2017, and since then, she has helped out in myriad ways. “I knew when I retired,” she says, “that I wanted to do something different that would contribute to the betterment of our community.”

She started volunteering in the birth certificate office in our mother baby unit and leading tours of the hospital for expectant parents. In addition, she has spent time greeting visitors and patients at the information desk in the hospital’s main lobby. “It’s a busy assignment that touches every aspect of the hospital,” Debbie says.

Rising to the challenge.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, in-person volunteering here was temporarily paused, to protect everyone’s safety. Debbie still wanted to volunteer, and asked if there was anything she could do remotely. She crocheted ear savers for hospital staff and was later enlisted to take minutes at our Clinical Nursing Supervisor Network meetings. There, she gained a new appreciation for the hospital’s approach to meeting the challenges of the pandemic.

Debbie also started helping Huntington Senior Care Network (SCN), a nationally recognized program that works to positively impact the health and well-being of older adults, adults with disabilities and their families throughout our community. In addition to spending time researching providers and updating SCN’s database, she also volunteers with Senior CareLine. SCN’s Senior CareLine is a free service that matches older adults with a friendly volunteer to chat with by phone to help them stay socially connected during the pandemic.

In March 2021, after she was fully vaccinated, Debbie was able to return to in-person volunteering. She is back to greeting visitors in our main lobby, and has taken on an additional assignment providing support at our vaccination clinic. “I wanted to come back as soon as volunteers were allowed at the hospital again,” she says. “It’s a special place.”