Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola volunteer plants seeds of hope

Before starting his four-hour shift as a volunteer, Ken Samples pauses at the entrance of Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola, a dozen roses in hand, asking God to help him set aside his own struggles and focus entirely on comforting others. Then he steps inside, ready to serve.

Twice a week, he volunteers at the information desk, providing directions to visitors. But his real gift arrives one stem at a time. When he sees someone struggling - a family member waiting for news, a patient facing trauma - he offers them a rose.

"Sometimes I use the roses as something for them to focus on, because I can sense they're going through something serious," Ken said. "The rose is just something they can focus on to distract them from all the things going on."

Once the roses are gone, he relies on presence. "I just try to communicate with them one on one," he said. "It's that one person that takes the time and says, 'You have me right now. What are you going through? How can I help?'"

A Pensacola native, he learned about service from his mother, who took him to help elderly neighbors while he was growing up. She would care for an 89-year-old woman who lived on the railroad tracks with about 25 cats while he bought cat food and swept the house. "She just taught me about taking care of people," Ken said. "For years, it was that reward of just seeing someone being helped and the kindness that they showed."

Profound grief has marked his life. He lost two brothers, a sister and both parents while navigating daily struggles with a member of his family. His mother spent her final days at Sacred Heart, where staff provided compassionate care that left a lasting impression. \
Volunteering at the hospital became his way of giving back to the team who showed his family such kindness. These experiences deepened his commitment to serve. "I know what I would like and what I have had with my own problems within my own family," he said. "I appreciate that one person who takes the time, and that's what I try."

Through it all, his faith has sustained him. "I am a man of Scripture. I do read the Bible and I talk with the Lord," Ken said. "Every time I come through that door, it's like somebody says, 'Lights, camera,' and that's it. I love it, because when you give a moment to someone, you get so much back."

Sacred Heart is just one of the places where he volunteers. His service extends to every day of the week: Mondays at a local hospital, Tuesdays with Meals on Wheels, Thursdays at the Senior Center, and Wednesdays and Fridays at Sacred Heart.
The power of compassion is something he understands well. "Scripture says you give and it shall be given to you," he said. "I'm planting seeds. If I can plant a good seed or some love in someone else's heart, I reap the harvest every time when I pull out this door in that parking lot."

He imagines the people he encounters going home alone, sitting with their worries about loved ones in the hospital. "I just want to put that one little seed of hope and love that they can grow within them," he said.
The commitment continues. He will keep showing up, roses in hand, ready to offer comfort to whoever needs it most. "There's nothing more refreshing than seeing someone smile," he said. "I love all that."