Making a Difference: Thriving Volunteer Program Enhances Care

In the hallways, waiting areas and treatment rooms of Miami Cancer Institute, Giovanni Melis has discovered the dignity of the human spirit. It’s not what he expected to find when he decided to volunteer at the Institute; he just wanted to keep busy in his retirement with something that would benefit others.

“To be honest, I expected it to be gloomy — people depressed, cancer and all of that. Instead, it’s inspiring, truly. The patients are all inspiring. It’s something that you have to admire,” says Mr. Melis, who has the distinction of having logged the most volunteer hours at the Institute.

Mr. Melis, 76, has served more than 1,700 hours since the volunteer program resumed post-COVID. He initially spent time in the lab, then worked in the food service department.

The Power of Human Connection

But he has found his home accompanying the musicians in the Institute’s Arts in Medicine program, chatting with patients as they enjoy inspiration and entertainment. “The music brings them joy and reminds them of happy memories.

They share stories of their life, their children, their travels,” Mr. Melis says. He never ceases to be amazed at the power of human connection. “You touch their hand and say, ‘You’re not alone.’ It can change everything for them.”

A Thriving Volunteer Program

Miami Cancer Institute’s volunteer program is thriving. More than 90 individuals have donated time this year to assist with administrative duties, transport of lab samples and patient support tasks. “They are very important,” says Samira Marcano, the Institute’s volunteer coordinator. “They help fill in the gaps and make Miami Cancer Institute a warm and welcoming place.”

In 2024, volunteers worked more than 18,000 hours, reflecting an increase of more than 30 percent over the previous year. In addition, the Institute partnered with Heel 2 Heal, a pet therapy organization, to expand the number of certified teams that visit the facilities from two to eight. “Our pet therapy dogs have brought so much joy to our patients and staff members,” Ms. Marcano says.

As the volunteer program continues to expand, Ms. Marcano works hard to assign people to areas that suit their interests and personalities. Some, such as Napoleon Santos and Anne Helliwell, enjoy patient contact so they are assigned to circulate the Care Cart filled with donated items that lift patients’ spirits. Others prefer to work behind the scenes, assisting staff with tasks that enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

Gaining an Appreciation for Life

For Mr. Melis, the experience has been profound. “What I’ve gotten out of this is a great appreciation for life, period. I see every day how hard patients fight to live,” he says. “It teaches me an incredible lesson that I try to share with others — how valuable life is.”

He also has been inspired by the friendships he witnesses between people who were once strangers but now share this fight against cancer. There are the three women with stage 4 cancer who sit together on Tuesdays, or the wife of a former patient who still shows up to sit with a woman she and her late husband befriended during his infusions. Their faces and stories stay with him long after he has gone home.

“It’s amazing,” he says. “You gain so much inspiration — such an appreciation for life and an appreciation for people. I always say, with all the turmoil that is going on in the world, all the negativity, I think people should spend time here and see what really matters.”

Since he retired as senior vice president of food and beverage at Ocean Reef Club, Mr. Melis is happy he’s been able to “give back” at the Institute. “For me it was an easy choice,” he says, adding the staff impressed him when he was treated here for a blood condition. “Some people donate lots of money, and that is wonderful, generous — but what I have to donate is my time. So that is what I give.”