The Goody Two Shoes of this world have had some pretty bad press over the years. At Bethesda Memorial Hospital, our volunteers are the “heart and soul” of our hospital.
In the Volunteer Office the Goody Two Shoes Rule! One person can make a difference and our volunteers demonstrate this daily. During the last few months you might have noticed that South Florida has been chilly. Our volunteers have knit and crocheted hundreds of small blankets and given them to patients of all ages. They also knit hats for each of our newborns to wear home, having completed 4,500 hats last year. Two of our volunteers are shut-ins who live in a nursing home. These wonderful ladies cut-out, fold and assemble hundreds of paper pyramids for our patient rooms that list important telephone numbers and names.
Whether its pushing a patient in a wheelchair, or escorting a lost visitor to a patients room, our volunteers help patients and visitors get where they need to go. Our volunteers give hugs, and theyre not afraid to tell a joke. Some of our volunteers even come dressed as clowns, bringing smiles to the faces of our patients and staff, alike. Through Bethesdas Pet Therapy program, they bring pets for our patients to meet.
Bethesdas volunteers help the hospital by raising money in the Auxiliary Gift Shop and at the hospitals thrift shop, the Bethesda Bargain Box. They help the hospital staff by raising funds for education through the Auxiliary scholarship program. In addition, the Auxiliary volunteers also help hospital staff members who cannot afford day care costs, by providing assistance for Bethesdas onsite childcare facility, the Ripley Early Learning Center. Plus, the volunteers help purchase equipment for hospital departments with special unexpected needs.
When one good deed is done it comes back threefold. In February 2010 nearly 500 volunteers came to Bethesda and gave of their time. They ranged in age from 14 to 96. Among the adults we have about three women volunteers for every man. Among the teens the ratio is about even. The community is catching on that the rewards of volunteering grow exponentially, as Bethesdas volunteers are the “heart and sole” of our community hospital who make a difference every day.
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