VOLUNTEERS: 1991 BELL VOLUNTEER AWARD WINNERS HONORED FOR HELPING OTHERS; SENIOR VOLUNTEER HOPES TO REMAIN BUSY

A quick check of Bess Estes' April calendar shows one free day this month. On every other day, Estes, who is 90 years old, has promised to help someone.

Last year Estes volunteered 2,134 hours of her time to 28 different community organizations.

"I just love to help people," she said.

And she hates to say no.

"I've always been a busy person," she explained. "That's the way I was raised.

"And I keep getting all this mail and all these phone calls," she said. "Someone is begging me to do something. I try to do all I can."

A charter member of the St. Francis Medical Center Auxiliary and Friends, she volunteered 367 hours at the medical center alone. She also volunteers at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

Estes visited more than 300 people last year, many friends who are no longer able to get out.

Her latest venture is sewing and mending for the Missouri Veterans' Home here.

She is active at her church. The long list of agencies which call on her for help include the Glenn House, Mid-America Teen Challenge, Quest Club, American Heart Association, American Red Cross, FISH, and the Cape County Medical Society Medical Auxiliary.

Bonnie Perdue, of the volunteer department at St. Francis Medical Center, describes Estes as dependable and efficient, two particularly beneficial characteristics for a volunteer to have.

But Purdue said Estes shies away from special recognition.

Estes said, "I think people should do what they do without wanting recognition for it."

She recently received a pin for serving 16,000 volunteer hours at the medical center. She promptly returned the pin so it could be given to someone else to save money.

Despite her advancing age, Estes said she has no plans to cut down her volunteer efforts.

"I think it's a satisfying thing to do," she said. "Some people think I'm sort of silly doing so many things, but I meet so many nice people, and I like to do it.

"There are so many wonderful things in this world. I like to be a part of it all."