Patti Nochez works while most of the world is asleep. From midnight to 8 a.m., she’s part of the guest services team at Sorrentino’s Compassion House welcoming late arrivals, checking in on sleepless guests, and offering calm reassurance during the quietest hours of the night. For Patti, the overnight hours are about being there, especially when guests are anxious, overwhelmed, and far from home.
Holding the House through the night
Overnight, Patti’s role spans a wide range of responsibilities that help keep the House steady and cared for. She supports late-night check-ins and early-morning departures, helps coordinate transportation when guests return from hospital, prepares essential reports, and keeps shared spaces tidy and welcoming. She also keeps a quiet watch over the House, ready to respond when something unexpected arises.
But beyond the tasks, Patti sees her role as being there for the women and companions who arrive carrying fear, exhaustion, and uncertainty. Nights can be especially hard. Guests are away from home, preparing for treatments they may not fully understand yet, and trying to rest in an unfamiliar place. Creating a sense of safety and calm, she says, is where care begins.
Connection without fixing
Before joining Compassion House, Patti worked in a medical clinic for ten years. The difference, she says, is connection. In the clinic, patients were checked in as clients. At the House, they are welcomed as guests.
Patti has learned that compassion doesn’t require answers. She isn’t a nurse or a doctor, but she listens. Everyone copes differently, and sometimes what guests need most is to be heard. Even during the night, small moments matter: a conversation, encouragement to step out of a room, or reassurance that someone is there if they need help.
More than a shift
Choosing the overnight shift wasn’t easy. It required family conversations and sacrifice, but for Patti, it’s worth it. She often returns during the day to volunteer or bring baked goods, proud to contribute in any way she can.
When she looks back, Patti knows she’ll remember the connections most: the guests who wait up to say hello, the friendships formed, and the quiet moments where care made a difference. “This is more than work,” she says. “It feels like home, and I take care of my home.”