Tiffany Wigger: Driven to Make a Difference

Every other Friday for the past 3 years, Tiffany Wigger has been a friendly face at the Phelps Health Repeat Boutique, a resale shop operated by the Phelps Health Auxiliary and Volunteer Services Department. She lives near Viburnum, Missouri, and makes the 50-mile drive to Rolla twice a month simply because she enjoys giving her time.

“I actually got the volunteer award for driving the furthest,” Tiffany said with a laugh. 

Volunteering at Phelps Health came after years of giving back in her local community. Tiffany volunteered at her daughters’ school to help with extracurricular activities for more than 15 years. She served as a neighborhood chair for 40 girls and eight moms in her local Girl Scouts Chapter and volunteers with 4-H, leading community service, rabbit and veterinary science projects. Tiffany also helps with local food pantries and soup kitchens and is a Bombas giving partner. Every year, she helps distribute over 1,500 pairs of Bombas socks to people in need.

Tiffany became familiar with Phelps Health by bringing her parents to medical appointments. Now that both of her daughters are older, and her husband is often traveling for work, volunteering gives Tiffany a way to fill her time with meaningful activity.

Whether she’s working the register, helping with fundraising events or delivering Valentine’s Day flowers across campus, Tiffany’s commitment shines through.

“The best part is, the people are so nice,” she said. “The employees are so thrilled and thank us for being there.”

With a background in physical therapy, Tiffany spent 20 years helping patients before being diagnosed with autoimmune and muscle diseases. “I loved geriatric patients—they were always glad to see me,” she said. “Now I can’t do that kind of work anymore, but volunteering at the Hospital became the perfect transition. I still feel needed.”

Tiffany finds purpose in serving others, one exchange at a time. 

“Employees only have 5 or 10 minutes to come in and get what they need,” she said. “They’re patient with me—even if I’m not the fastest on the cash register—and that means a lot. Just being there for them makes a difference.”

Tiffany has logged around 1,500 volunteer hours and encourages others to get involved. 

“Whether you’re older, disabled or just dealing with arthritis or aches and pains, it’s good to get out and do something productive,” she said. “Helping others takes your mind off yourself. It’s worth the effort.”

When she’s not volunteering, Tiffany stays busy on her family’s farm, home to around 40 animals—from two horses down to a ferret. She loves scrapbooking for her daughters and their teammates, and enjoys attending their volleyball, basketball and track events.

With her bright spirit, thoughtful service and genuine love for helping others, Tiffany brings warmth and connection to everyone she meets at Phelps Health.