Schaumburg retiree finds second career with 3 volunteer jobs

For uber-volunteer Gayle Sharpless, it took about two days after retiring from her clerical job in Chicago in 2012 to realize that retirement wasn't for her. "Sitting around doing nothing wasn't for me," the Schaumburg resident said. "I had to get out and be among people. I love working with people."

So Sharpless immediately started to look for volunteer opportunities.

"The first thing that I saw was that the Barn in Schaumburg was bringing in the food depository twice a month, and they needed volunteers," she said. "So I sent them an email and got an immediate response to come in, and I've been there ever since."

The clients consist of seniors who receive groceries from the Illinois Food Bank.

"We get it all set up and get a list of how much each person can get," Sharpless said.

"They bring their bags. We put the food in their bags: maybe five apples, five bananas, a can of this, a can of that, a package of this."

The unfulfilled desire to be a nurse when she was young led Sharpless also to volunteer at St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates.

"Working at the front desk gives me the opportunity to help people who come in here who have no desire to be here whatsoever," she said. "It's mainly directing people to patients' rooms, or those coming in for various tests."

In addition to occasionally volunteering to work concessions or as an usher at the Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg, Sharpless finds time to take classes in tai chi and cardio training at the Schaumburg Park District Community Recreation Center.

"The volunteering I do is to help other people, but I figure I need to help myself as well, so that's why I take the tai chi and cardio classes," she said. "Tai chi is very relaxing, great for balance, strength and for breathing.

"We do a lot of deep breathing during tai chi."

It's not hard to imagine that the energetic Sharpless started out working as a sheriff's deputy in Elkhart County, Indiana, during the 1970s.

"My uncle, at the time, was sheriff of Elkhart County. They had a small sheriff's department and were going to expand and start taking on women, which they hadn't done before, and he asked me if I would be interested. I worked in the jail transporting prisoners," she said.

"We had to carry guns. When we first started we were in skirts, but then we went to pants and dressed like men and carried .350 Magnums. I was a very good shooter; I was packing heat," Sharpless said with a laugh.

While Sharpless was volunteering at the hospital one day, a man came by the desk and asked her why the volunteers were all smiling.

"Of course we're smiling," Sharpless said she told him. "We like working here; it's a friendly place and we like people."

The man said, "Boy, you sure make people feel better; you make our day when we see the smiles."

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