Volunteers are the Heart of Magee: Celebrating National Healthcare Volunteer Week 2015 – April 12-18

This year, Magee celebrates National Volunteer Week, April 12-18, 2015.  The AHVRP  (Association for Healthcare Volunteer Resource Professionals) website describes the history of the week: “President Richard Nixon established National Volunteer Week with an executive order in 1974, as a way to recognize and celebrate the efforts of volunteers. Every sitting U.S. president since Nixon has issued a proclamation during National Volunteer Week (as have many U.S. mayors and governors.) Since then, the original emphasis on celebration has widened; the week has become a nationwide effort to urge people to get out and volunteer in their communities. Every April, charities, hospitals, and communities recognize volunteers and foster a culture of service.”Vol App 2015

At Magee, volunteers are a vital part of our patients’ experience.  Individuals, corporate groups, former patients, students, community leaders, and many other kind-hearted people give their time and talents to help shape the BELIEVE attitude for our patients and families. There are so many ways our volunteers impact the organization. Here are some of the roles they play: staffing the Resource Center for patients and families, providing transportation on the elevators during the dining hours, setting-up and running game nights, organizing the gyms after therapy, assisting in horticultural therapy in the greenhouse, making greeting cards for holidays, helping patients during meal times in the dining room, engaging patients in cognitive activities the 4th floor day room, meeting with current patients as peer mentors, working through corporations (including Comcast and Verizon) to make a big impact on group staff volunteer days, serving as board members on our foundation and operations board, as well as providing staff with important feedback and innovations as members of the Patient and Family Advisory Council.

This week, please take some time to thank a volunteer for their dedication to making the patients’ stay at Magee a very positive and engaging experience.

To learn more about volunteering at Magee, please visit http://bit.ly/MageeVolunteer

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