ODESSA, Texas — For five days a week since 2002, Faye Smith has been volunteering at Medical Center Hospital in Odessa.
"Better than sitting at home on the couch watching TV," Smith said.
And she might not look like it, but she just celebrated her 90th birthday.
Smith has spent about two of those nine decades helping one patient at a time.
There's been a ton of patients she's helped, as she's amassed almost 48,000 hours of service at the hospital alone.
"I just love helping people," Smith said.
But why did she start volunteering here specifically?
"Well, my husband was a patient up here for seven months, one year, nine months and next," Smith said.
Unfortunately, in 2002, Smith's husband passed away while at MCH.
Despite the tragic loss, however, Smith decided to do a little good.
A few months after his death, Smith wanted to help the people who helped her and her husband at their lowest point.
"And everybody treated us so good. And so I decided I could do something to help the hospital," said Smith.
And while she lost a member of her family that day, she gained a new family in the process.
A family that includes three other volunteers who are also older than 90-years-old.
"Yeah, I just enjoy being useful. And it makes you feel good if you can help someone," said 90-year-old Jo Baker, who volunteers once a week.
Baker retired from the police department in 1996 and has been volunteering since. She has almost 4,000 hours of service.
Then, there's 93-year-old Mary McQueen. She previously had a daycare business before retiring 21 years ago. She works at the Wheatley Stewart Pre-Op lab. She has almost 3,500 hours of service.
Finally, there's 91-year-old Helen Jones, who just retired from ECISD food services in 2020. She started volunteering before she retired in 2004. She currently volunteers in the ICU/Surgery waiting room. She has almost 2,000 hours of service.
So let's just say Baker, McQueen and Jones spend a lot of their post-retirement at MCH.
"I love talking to the patients in the ICU waiting room and I make many friends," Jones said.
From walking patients to their rooms to making sure they're signed in, Baker, McQueen and Jones show that just because they’re over the age of 90, that doesn’t mean they can’t make a difference.
A difference that is certainly felt by everyone else in the hospital, workers or patients.
"I can definitely say these ladies inspire me every day," Volunteer Services Manager Adina Crain said. "They give up their time, their talents and their energy to be here, and I hope it will encourage others to come on in and give it a try. Cause I really do truly think that you've got to keep moving to get to your 90s, and these ladies are a great example of that."
They’re also an example of how age is just a number.
"You're never too old," McQueen said.
Especially when it comes to helping people.
If interested in volunteering with MCH, visit their Volunteer Services section on their website.