Volunteers Make Waves at ChristianaCare
With more than 9,000 hours of service, volunteers make an 'ocean' of difference to our patients
Volunteers “traveled” to the tropics as they gathered for the Volunteer Award Ceremony at Christiana Hospital in April. The Volunteer Services team honored nearly 90 volunteers at a beach-themed event to thank them for their dedication to supporting the ChristianaCare community through service.
The theme “Volunteers Make Waves” represents the unique, moving impact each volunteer makes through their commitment and passion, said Margarita Rodriguez-Duffy, director of Visitor and Volunteer Services. Together, volunteers are a “mighty ocean” that drive the ChristianaCare Way forward.
“Whether it be taking patients to their destinations, supporting a caregiver during an extremely busy day or rocking a fussy baby, their actions create ripples that are felt all over our organization,” said Rodriguez-Duffy. “Just as waves shape the shoreline, their efforts shape our community in profound ways.”
Hidden treasures
The volunteers celebrated at the award ceremony have contributed a collective 216,000 hours of service. Many are family members of patients, former caregivers and community members.
In their roles, volunteers aim to provide a warm, welcoming experience for patients and visitors, escorting patients and families to their destinations, bringing comfort by delivering mail and flowers or providing blankets and water in the emergency rooms.
Volunteers also serve as clerical support in ChristianaCare offices, answering phones, preparing charts, filing, doing data entry, running errands and other administrative duties. Volunteers who are Patient and Family Advisers share their personal experiences to provide a patient’s-eye-view for to improve the health care experience.
“You are the waves — you lift us up, you lift up our patients, our families, our caregivers and our community,” said Rose Wessells, manager of Volunteer Services, in speaking to the awardees at the ceremony. “And when we are lifted up high on that wave, we can see things differently.
“You help us gain a new perspective, even if just for an instant. But changing someone’s perspective, even for an instant, when they are scared, lonely, confused, overwhelmed — that’s a miracle! Thank you for being our waves and thank you for being our miracles!”
Click here for volunteer opportunities at ChristianaCare.
Patients and visitors can find Jane Juhrden helping out in the Volunteer Office and throughout Christiana Hospital. She has been a volunteer for seven years. After retiring, she decided she still wanted to give back. She’s grateful for the decision she made and the new stage of life it started for her.
“I have met so many new friends,” she said. “I feel like I’ve now got an ‘ocean’ myself with all these new people, and I really, really treasure that.”
Lasting ripple
Among the honorees was Gerri VanCaneghem, a volunteer who has worked at the Good As New Shop at ChristianaCare Cecil Campus for over 40 years. She is the longest currently serving volunteer and has accumulated over 9,000 hours since 2015.
“I’m just very lucky. I enjoy life and I enjoy people, particularly the people I work with,” she said. “It makes it worthwhile to work here knowing you’re doing something for the community.”
Volunteers are part of the fabric of Cecil County, said Elaine Boyle, manager of Volunteer Services for the Cecil County campus.
“There are so many good things you can say about the Good as New Shop and the wonderful all-volunteer staff,” she said. “Gerri and all the volunteers have such a friendly rapport with the community.”
This is indicative of all ChristianaCare’s volunteers, said Wren Lester, Ph.D., CPXP, CPHQ, LSSBB, chief experience officer at ChristianaCare.
“Each of our volunteers have given time, energy and skills to help others, and for that we are deeply grateful,” Lester said. “Thank you for making waves and being changemakers.”
Click here for more Volunteer Awards photos.