Rochester, N.Y. — A home away from home for critical patients and their families, Harbor House relies on volunteers. Thursday, those charity volunteers were recognized.

Mass Mutual presented a check for $10,000 to Harbor House Thursday night. Its employees volunteer at the house on Wednesday nights.

Harbor House was built, in part, because of Gary Acker, who had a heart transplant 10 years ago out of state.

He says that transplant has allowed him to watch his grandson grow up. Now he helps other families going through a similar ordeal.

It’s a small community, but I think that one of the things the transplant community does is they try to give back,” Acker said. “Because they know we got the ultimate gift of life and the opportunity to be with our families a few more years.”

The Harbor House opened last year.