About six Christmases ago, in what they describe as a happy "luck of the draw," Paul and Sally Nealon found themselves delivering holiday goodies from a local medical office to the patient care departments at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital (MRH).

They've been doing it ever since.

"It's a lot of fun," Sally says. "We even wear Santa hats."

Sally Nealon has worn several "hats" during several years -- a dozen in March, in fact -- as an MRH volunteer. She started out in Pre-Admissions and then moved to Outpatient Cath before finding her place in (cancer) Infusion. "That's my niche," she says.

It's a role she takes for a half-day every Thursday before joining Paul for a quick lunch and then moving on to her other volunteer job -- flower delivery. Paul, who also works on Thursdays, is a discharge volunteer who came to Moore Regional at the same time as Sally.

"I wanted patient contact, too," he says. "People are happy to see you (when assisting with discharge), because you're getting them out of here."

According to Cindy Strother, the hospital's administrative director of guest services, the Nealons epitomize the volunteer aspect of FirstHealth's core purpose "to care for people."

"Sally and Paul are good examples of the high level of energy and commitment that Moore Regional Hospital volunteers bring to our organization," she says. "They also bring 'can/will-do' attitudes and smiles that lift the spirits of patients and staff. Since they are the kind of people who are going to care for others in whatever they do, we are lucky that they chose to put that care to work at our hospital."

The Nealons had raised three children and Paul was looking toward retirement as an IBM field engineer when they started seriously considering a move south from their long-time home in Scranton, Pa. That was in the mid-1990s.

They had scouted lots of communities throughout North and South Carolina before they found themselves, at a friend's suggestion, in Whispering Pines.

"We loved it," Paul says.

"I thought, 'This is where I could live,'" says Sally.

The Nealons relocated two years later and immediately became involved in Whispering Pines life. Both serve on the village's Activities Committee, and Paul, as one of two parks coordinators, works with park caretakers to oversee the planting and upkeep of 24 village parks. "It keeps us pretty busy," he says.

Paul also enjoys woodworking and working in stained glass, and volunteers at the Whispering Woods Golf Club. Every summer, he and Sally look forward to an annual beach get-together with their son, two daughters, in-laws and eight grandchildren (ages 5 to 18). Since the families are spread from North Carolina to Pennsylvania to Washington State, "it's time for the cousins to get to know each other," Sally says.

After her move to North Carolina, Sally, who had been a stay-at-home mom and homemaker, wanted to continue the hospital volunteer work she had enjoyed so much in Pennsylvania. During 10 years as a volunteer at Scranton's Community Medical Center, she had served as president of the hospital's auxiliary, a job "that entitled me to run the gift shop," she says.

Since most of her fellow gift shop volunteers were quite elderly, she wound up working almost every day and, as a result, strongly opted for patient contact when she spoke to the hospital's volunteer coordinator about signing up at Moore Regional.

Both Nealons now say it's the people at the hospital -- patients and staff -- who have kept them so happily ensconced as MRH volunteers.

"You get a feel for a place," says Paul.

"We're all in it for the same reason," says Sally. "You want to be here."

Anyone needing more information on how to volunteer at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital can call 715-1268.