RHK Volunteer Spotlight - Meet Rose Maurer

Hi, my name is Rose. I am retired now and I absolutely love volunteering at RHK. I was born and raised on the south side of Chicago. About 20 years ago, we moved to Rockford, and I’ve really come to enjoy living here.

I have one son, a registered nurse at a children’s hospital in Chicago, and my daughter-in-law is a Pediatric Psychologist at the same hospital. Working with kids runs in the family. I spent four years volunteering on the pediatric floor at Mercy Hospital, and it was incredibly rewarding. When the pediatrics department closed, I knew I still wanted to be involved in helping children in some way.

I’ve been volunteering at RHK for about 10 months now, and I truly love what I do. I typically come in during the day and work with April, RHK’s Storeroom Coordinator. What I enjoy most is that every day is different. I never quite know what I’ll be doing, and that keeps it exciting. I first got involved thanks to my friend, Sondra, who told me they needed volunteers. I came in one evening just to observe, and I was immediately sold on the mission and the amazing work happening here.

I volunteer about 4 hours a week, and I’m always surprised at how much can get done in that short time. Being retired, I knew I wanted to give back — and RHK has been the perfect place to do just that. I just wish more people would take the time to stop in, observe, and donate a bit of their time. It truly makes a difference.

Oh, and I’m a BIG Cubs fan! I love going to games whenever I can. I also have two fantastic grandsons, ages 12 and 9, who are very active in sports, especially travel baseball. Even though they live almost two hours away, I never miss a chance to watch them play. It’s one of my greatest joys.