Volunteers give a piece of themselves

Every year Providence Care volunteers touch the lives of the people we serve.

Since the move to Providence Care Hospital one year ago 500 volunteers have donated more than 30,000 hours of their time. Likewise, almost 100 volunteers at the Providence Manor long-term care home have given more than 16,000 hours of their time in the last year.

While this gives us a quantitative measure of the dedication these individuals show to our patients, clients and residents, it is not as easy to capture or represent the qualitative.

How do you put a number on respect, dignity and compassion? When individuals choose to volunteer they are not just giving their time, they are giving a piece of themselves; they give their skills, experience, leadership and inspiration.

“Volunteers build meaningful relationships with our patients and clients while they are in the hospital, and they help to provide a sense of normalcy during what is often a challenging time in an individual’s life”, shared Chris O’Connor, Volunteer Coordinator for Providence Care Hospital. One program that volunteers support is a morning coffee group. Here patients and clients can read the newspaper, enjoy a word puzzle and engage in friendly conversation over their morning cup of coffee or tea, similar to how many people would start their day at home or in the community.

“Volunteers go above and beyond the call of duty in order to bring a smile to each and every resident’s face,” shared Danielle Preston, Volunteer Coordinator for Providence Manor. “Without their support we would not be able to offer many of the events and amenities that enrich the lives of our residents such as the coffee shop, the pub and the gift shop.”

Luncheons were held at our hospital and our Home to formally recognize and thank volunteers for their invaluable contributions to the organization and to the people we serve. Also in attendance were both Providence Care’s and VOCEC’s (Voices, Opportunities and Choices Employment Club) board of directors who serve as volunteers with the organization. This year Providence Care volunteers gave over 46,000 hours of their time which equates to 126 volunteer hours per day.

“This level of commitment is what sets our organization apart,” shared Josée Theriault, Vice-Chair of Providence Care’s board of directors, “and we cannot put a dollar value on that.” It is apparent at gatherings like these the rich community that our volunteers build within our hospital, our home and our community.

Volunteers at Providence Care live our Mission each and every day as partners in care. It can be “a smile, a listening ear, or holding the hands of someone in need, volunteers are there for our patients and clients each and every day,” shared Janet Hunter, Director of Volunteer Services for Providence Care Hospital.  “They give selflessly of themselves and in doing so help to improve the quality of life of the people we serve,” adds Danielle Preston. It is because of these invaluable contributions that we celebrate and thank our volunteers not only during National Volunteer Week, but every day.

Are you interested in volunteering with Providence Care? Visit our website at https://providencecare.ca/careers-volunteering/volunteer-with-us/.

Visit Providence Care’s Facebook page to view photos from National Volunteer Week.