Perham Health Elevate Helps Retiree Ann Toli Lubitz Lead Compassion Closet

Ann "Toli" Lubitz, a retiree who lives in Perham, stepped into a leadership role with the Compassion Closet after connecting with Perham Health’s Elevate program, which aims to help older adults find volunteer connections and purpose. The Elevate initiative, run through Perham Health in Otter Tail County, focuses on community support for aging well and has guided Lubitz toward organizing donations and care items for patients at the health system.

Perham Health designed Elevate to match community members with volunteer opportunities that reinforce social ties and practical support for patients. For Lubitz, the program translated broad mission language about aging well into a concrete assignment: overseeing the Compassion Closet’s inventory, coordinating donated items, and ensuring patients who need clothing, blankets, or hygiene supplies can access them when they come to Perham Health clinics or services.

Lubitz took over organizing the Compassion Closet with an emphasis on patient-centered logistics. She now catalogs incoming donations, arranges the space where items are kept, and works with Perham Health staff to identify patients who could benefit from immediate access to clothing or comfort items. Those actions directly support clinical care by addressing nonmedical needs that affect recovery and discharge planning in Otter Tail County health settings.

The Elevate program’s link between retirees and patient support highlights public health implications for Otter Tail County: volunteer-run resources like the Compassion Closet provide material aid that complements medical treatment and can reduce barriers to care. Perham Health’s approach ties community volunteerism to healthy aging goals, showing how local healthcare institutions can integrate social supports into patient services without replacing professional medical care.

From a policy and equity perspective, the Compassion Closet addresses social determinants of health by making basic necessities available to patients served by Perham Health. Lubitz’s work through Elevate demonstrates how local volunteers help fill gaps for residents who face economic or transportation challenges when seeking care in Perham and elsewhere in Otter Tail County. The program also offers retirees purposeful engagement, which research on aging and social health links to better mental and physical outcomes.

As of February 18, 2026, Lubitz continues organizing the Compassion Closet through Perham Health’s Elevate program, combining her volunteer energy with the health system’s mission of community support for aging well. Residents interested in similar volunteer roles can contact Perham Health to learn more about Elevate and opportunities to support patients in Otter Tail County.