It was the young Anne Frank that wrote, “Whether you are great or small, you can always give something, even if it is only kindness.”
At White River Medical Center (WRMC), 13 teenagers gave their kindness and their time, and in return, they received education about careers in healthcare. Each year, the WRMC Auxiliary sponsors a Volunteen program to expose young adults to health careers and to promote the philosophy of volunteering.
Volunteens work in many areas of the hospital to assist in making patients and their families feel more comfortable and to assist physicians and hospital personnel. Their duties include visiting patients and providing hospitality, providing office assistance, and working in the gift shop, information desk and in admissions.
The 2010 Volunteens contributed a total of 1,207 volunteer hours.
Each year at the end of the program, a luncheon is held to honor and reward the Volunteens. At the luncheon, awards are presented for Most Congenial, which was voted on by Volunteen peers; Most Hours Volunteered; and Most Outstanding Volunteen, which is voted on by WRMC employees and comes with a $500 scholarship. Volunteen Dyllen Wolfe was the winner of all three awards—the first time in Volunteen history.
“Dyllen had a great attitude and he was willing to work when and where he was needed,” said Tena Bledsoe, Volunteer Director.
Dyllen, a Southside High School student with an interest in the medical field, gave 143 hours of his time to the Volunteen program.
He said that he learned an “immense amount” through being a Volunteen at WRMC. “It was neat to see how each department worked in their own way to become one hospital,” he said. “Anyone considering becoming a Volunteen should go for it and do it with a smile! It makes a good impression for future success.”
The WRMC Auxiliary is a 160-member organization of men and women dedicated to meeting the needs of patients, visitors, physicians and employees at the hospital. Auxiliary members donate more than 23,000 hours of the most precious gift, their time, to the hospital each year. Services range from greeting and escorting visitors, manning the information desks, serving as hosts in the waiting rooms, shuttling patients and visitors to and from their cars, offering individualized hospitality to patients, and assisting with clerical functions throughout the hospital. For more information about WRMC Auxiliary/Volunteer program, call Tena Bledsoe, Director of Volunteer Services at 870-262-6555.
Posted: August, 23 2010