There are some people in this world you just know are golden. It's what they do; it's how they are.

Since 1984, Jeanne Bass has put in over 5,000 hours as a volunteer at the United Regional Medical Center. That's more than 208 nonstop days worth of her lifetime.

The Wednesdays that she's addministering blood pressure checks at the hospital are surrounded by days of baking, cooking and caring for friends, family and people who cannot do for themselves.

She's a quite angel sweeping through the day-today, into the corners of life where people pool and are forgotten.

Bass also suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's Disease. It is difficult for her to form words with weakended vocal chords and the delicious muffins she creates each week for friends and newspaper editors take two days of preparation. Before she was diagnosed wih ALS this past February, Bass could have her muffins made and delivered in a few hours.

"I made 110 last Saturday."

After caring for her husband, Harry, who suffered strokes and died after two years of homebound care.

"For two and a half years I took care of him at home. He never could move and was blind for a year and-a-half. After he died I had the time to volunteer. Georga Willis first encouraged me to come to the nursing home through the Hospital Auxilary."

Most of her 5,000 hours have been spend with the in the old hospital's lobby charting blood pressure. Bass filled in gaps for staff at the adjacent nursing home facility for a number of years as well.

"I'm never qoing to quit. There's no place I'd rather be."

She taught Sunday school for 25 years at First Baptist Church and has a flock of children that extend beyond her biology. She claims State Rep. Butch Lewis as one of her own.

"I have over 200 children have been mine at church for over 50 years."
"I get the idea there are alot of hugs," adds friend and fellow volunteer Donna Barnes.

"I've had 13 children stay at my house at one time. They were ages 11 to 13...part of my Sunday school children."

Buddy Gilmore walks in while she is explaing this and Bass eases out of her seat to give her long-time neighbor the weekly meal she fixes for him.

"Thank you Bassy," Gilmore says on the way out the door.

Bass explains that her volunteer service is a part of a fabric of sweetness that she spins to the world around her.

"I think there is value in everyone."