Three times a week Jim leaves his home, making his way along the streets of Boston's Beacon Hill to the MGH, where he donates his time as a volunteer in the Cancer Center's Infusion Unit. Patients receive chemotherapy and other blood products or medications for their treatment here.

"I thought time would drag after I retired," says Jim. Famous last words from one of the center's most dedicated volunteers.

Small things become big things when someone is undergoing cancer treatment. Through his efforts, Jim helps make life easier and more comfortable for patients. He brings patients refreshments, and takes lunch orders as well as delivers lunches to patients. Sometimes he'll even grab a paper or pick up a prescription for someone who is having trouble getting around.

Jim has been working in the Infusion Unit since it opened almost three years ago. He says that despite their difficulties, the patients are wonderful to work with, as are the staff who have become "like a family." He may not take home a paycheck for his work, but the personal satisfaction he gets out of it has nothing to do with money. "It is the most rewarding thing I've ever done."