Fred and I met as bookkeepers in New York City, and six months later, he proposed on the Staten Island Ferry. Very romantic, very New York. We’ve been together 65 years.

Fred’s from Brooklyn and I’m from England, and we moved to Vermont for work. Fred was with Simmonds Precision, and I started teaching special education. We raised three kids. Two of them still live here; the other settled elsewhere.

When we retired, we hit the road. We spent a decade traveling the country in a camper, coming back in the summer. Big Sur, the Grand Canyon, the Tetons—we saw it all. Our dog, Gibson, an Australian Shepherd with no tail (and a lot of personality), went everywhere with us.

Eventually, we came back. We didn’t realize how much we loved Vermont until we left. The land, the people, the pace of things… it felt right. There’s a real sense of community here. People check in on each other. You see that in everyday life, and especially at a place like Porter. That’s why we started volunteering.

We’re not medical folks, but we know how to clean a wheelchair, give directions, or hand someone a cup of coffee. Hospitals aren’t easy places. People walk in feeling stressed, and we’re at the front desk—usually the first people they’ll see. If we can help them feel even a little bit better, that’s something.

After seven years, we recognize a lot of faces. We volunteer two days a week, just enough to stay active and feel useful. Sometimes we see folks at the grocery store who say, "Hey, you’re the ones at the desk!" We always appreciate those moments.

Sometimes, we’ll deliver breakfast to the emergency department staff. Mary Anne pushes the breakfast cart like she's working room service. Nurses light up when they see her coming—unless the coffee order’s wrong. Then we hear about it.

We’ve even gone to a few staff members’ houses for dinner. Met their dogs, shared stories. It’s more than just a volunteer shift. It’s real connection.

Porter’s a small place, but that’s the point. You see familiar faces. You build trust. People know each other. It’s not just about treatment. It’s about being seen. That’s why we came back to Vermont. It felt right.

Fred and Mary Anne Hoff are volunteers at Porter Medical Center. They’ve been with us since 2018.