Volunteer inspires call from Florida to sing her praises

Volunteers, by their nature, are not looking for recognition. They're caring and giving. They make sacrifices and work hard, always putting the good of others before self.

Believing her friend was all this and more, Annamae Ross called the Daily Herald to share the tireless work of Nancy Franks.

"She does everything," said Ross. "She changes sheets at Little Sisters. She visits hospice patients and volunteers for the homeless. Once when I was staying at her home, she told me not to be nervous if I heard her get up at 2 a.m. because she was going to work on some volunteering."

Ross, who has lived in Florida for the past six years, made the call from the sunshine state to the paper because, even after knowing Franks for 30 years, she is still impressed by her commitment to others.

"She doesn't toot her own horn, so I thought I would do it for her," Ross said. "I was talking to her daughter and I told her, 'Your mother deserves to be recognized for all she does.'"

What she does includes a schedule full of caring activities. On Mondays, she volunteers for Hospice of Northeastern Illinois. On Tuesdays, she changes sheets at St. Joseph's Home for the Elderly. Wednesday, she works at the Neighborhood Health Resource Center, a free clinic in Rolling Meadows. Thursday finds her active at the Northwest Community Hospital.

Franks figures she changes between 30-50 beds a week at St. Joseph's. The Inverness resident has been doing so for 38 years.

"The Little Sisters that run St. Joseph's are a wonderful and beautiful order of women," said the 65-year-old. "They take such good care of the residents, and I'm glad to be part of that."

At St. Joseph's, Franks has also been involved for the past 15 years with a fundraising committee. As a member of the committee, she works on publicity, obtaining auction items, and the dinner menu. She recalls one particular challenge in the role.

"We had 200 people coming and the restaurant canceled 11/2 weeks before the event," she said. "I took the bull by the horn and rented tables and got volunteer staff to work the function. It was quite an accomplishment. People say you need a year in advance to plan something like this, but you don't if you have people pitch in."

Of her own accord, Franks has also hosted a cocktail party at her home for the past three years. The mini benefit serves to bring additional monies into St. Joseph's.

For eight years, Franks has visited with patients and acted as relief for caregivers through the Hospice of Northeastern Illinois.

"I am privileged to be with that person at that time of their life," she said. "It's sad of course, but typically by the time they pass, it's a happy time for them because they have declined."

At the Neighborhood Health Resource Center, the dedicated volunteer has put in two hours a week for the past six years. Her duties include several facets of office work.

For the past seven years, she has done similar office work at Northwest Community Hospital. She also helps in the marketing department, putting together event gift bags, hanging event posters, and passing out pamphlets. Before that, she volunteered for 21 years at the hospital's snack shop.

Although not active in these fields, Franks has volunteered at a PADS site and cared for children at both The Children's Place and Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

If you're wondering what Franks does on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, she says, "that's me time."

"Me time" involves spending moments with her two children and eight grandchildren. The retiree also enjoys skiing in Colorado.

However, it should be noted that Franks willingly forsakes her free time if called upon. For example, last August she was asked to chaperone eight teenagers from Barrington High School on an Appalachian mission trip. The group spent their days constructing low-income housing.

"It was the toughest thing I've ever done," said Franks. "It was hard physical work with an incredible 110 heat index."

To make matters even more difficult, the volunteers were asked to live as those in the impoverished area. They had no TV, could wear no make up, had to share one bathroom with 18 people, and were allowed one shower during the week they were there.