Different Roles, the Same Mission: A Commitment to Showing Up for Others

For years, Jimmy Parker moved through the halls of UNC Health Nash with carts of supplies destined for departments across campus.

He knew the weight of the boxes, the rhythm of his deliveries and the importance of arriving on time. Most patients would never see his work, yet they benefited through the caregivers who relied on him.

Today, Parker walks many of those same halls without a cart in front of him.

Instead, he brings compassion, prayer and the willingness to remain beside someone when words are difficult to find.

Across 15 years in Shipping and Receiving and 25 years as a volunteer chaplain, the nature of Parker’s service has changed. The purpose behind it has not: he shows up for people, pays attention to what they need and does his part with care.

“I just like helping people,” Parker said.

Parker joined Nash in 1999 after working in the supermarket industry. His days were filled with loading, unloading and transporting supplies. Along the way, he formed relationships that made an otherwise solitary job feel connected to the people around him.

“It was a pleasant experience and a learning experience,” Parker said. “I enjoyed what I did, I enjoyed meeting people, and I’m still friends with many of those people to this day.”

The work was physical and often demanding, but every delivery connected him to something larger. Parker understood that when teammates had what they needed, they were better able to care for the patients depending on them.

“We made sure people received their supplies on time so they could do their job,” Parker said. “And if they could do their job, the patients got taken care of.”

Although he did not work at the bedside, Parker understood that patient care depended on people throughout the organization completing their part.

“Every member of the hospital’s team plays an important role,” said Chaplain Supervisor Shawn Crumley. “Jimmy was contributing to care when he was an employee, and he is still contributing to care as a chaplain.”

Two years after beginning his employment, Parker started volunteering as a chaplain one Saturday each month. The decision grew from an experience that had remained with him since the death of his father.

It was 1:30 in the morning when a chaplain entered the room where Parker’s family had gathered. There was little he could change about what was happening, but Parker remembers the kindness and compassion he offered.

“He was so good to us and made us all feel so much better,” Parker recalled. “I said that if I ever got into ministry, that was what I wanted to do.”

When Parker later had the opportunity to serve under Nash Chaplain Preston Smith, he began offering that same presence to others. What began as one Saturday a month continued long after he retired.

Today, volunteer chaplains make up most of UNC Health Nash’s Pastoral Care team, helping ensure spiritual care is available around the clock.

“Because of volunteers such as Jimmy Parker, we can say that a chaplain is always available,” Crumley said.

Much of that work takes place privately. Some people feel less anxious after someone takes the time to sit with them. Others find space to process grief or loss. Many simply feel less alone.

“Often, presence is more meaningful and more impactful than anything a chaplain can say or do,” Crumley said. “It communicates, without words, ‘I’m here, and I’m with you.’”

Parker has learned that support does not always begin with knowing what to say. Often, it begins with listening, noticing what a patient or family needs and being willing to sit with them in silence.

“A lot of times, people simply need your understanding and your time,” Parker said. “You can walk into a room and not say anything. You can hold their hand and just let them know you’re there.”

One experience that remains with Parker involved a family who spoke little English and had gathered around a dying loved one.

The language barrier limited their conversation, but it did not prevent them from sharing that time together. One family member communicated a desire to pray, and Parker led the family in doing so. Slowly but noticeably, a welcome sense of peace settled across the room. Even the patient was able to respond and express sincere gratitude.

“That experience reminded me that God works across all barriers,” Parker said.

Patients and families regularly ask whether Parker is on campus or request that he visit them. Crumley recently heard from a family whose loved one had known Parker since childhood and hoped he could come to their room.

“Those who know Jimmy greatly value his presence and know they can call on him at any time,” Crumley said. “He is quietly consistent, and people trust him to show up.”

“I hope they find a sense of relief and comfort,” Parker said. “I hope I have done something to help the family get through.”

The chaplain who entered Parker’s father’s room could not change what his family was experiencing either. What he offered was compassion at a time when it was needed—and a model Parker would carry forward for decades.

“My mission remains the same,” Parker said. “I am still committed to offering comfort and helping people through difficult experiences.”

For Crumley, Parker’s continued service reflects something central to UNC Health Nash and its role as a community hospital.

“A community hospital like UNC Health Nash is a place where local people take care of one another,” he said. “Jimmy has a servant’s heart and a clear love for this community.”

For years, Parker supported others by delivering the supplies they needed to do their work. What he offers now cannot be placed on a cart or counted in inventory, but it remains rooted in the same steady commitment: showing up when people need him.

“It gives me comfort to know that I can still help people,” Parker said. “That is what keeps me doing it.”

For the patients and families who ask for him by name—and those who do not yet know who will soon be at their side—his willingness to simply be present is often exactly what is needed.