NANA SAYS YOUNG VOLUNTEERS ARE OUR FUTURE

We have many student volunteers ( 15- 21 years) at the hospital. When I was young they were called Candy Stripers because they wore a uniform that looked like a Red and White Candy Cane! Now just wear green. Our High Schools have a community service credit that requires volunteering. Volunteers are a win-win. The young people get a chance to experience a community service and the service has a "workforce" to provide service to our patients. A wheelchair and ride to the door for a patient being discharged; taking cultures to the Lab; delivering flowers or mail to hospitalized patients and any number of small jobs are essential for good patient satisfaction. Other agencies in my region as well as the province benefit from our young volunteers. As employees it is our obligation to be supportive to them. To get into Graduate School, I needed so many community hours to demonstrate I had some experience. For this generation, the requirement has not changed. It does feel good to be assisting with the foundation for the future. How do you use young people in your workplace? Do you find they are a benefit? Do you have a story about one?

A SNOW FLURRY MEMORY

I was a Social Work student doing my second year U. of T. Masters field practice placement at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. As part of my learning, I requested cases with patients with terminal illness. One case- Renee- will always be remembered. I was a busy student, studying, researching for my placement requirements, married with commitments at home. Always in a hurry. One day when I was arriving for placement it was snowing and I was dreading the ride home if it kept up. I had many people to see that day and a paper to write later that evening. I visited Renee. She was in her bed, very ill and quiet. We started to talk but she kept looking towards the window. She told me in her soft voice that she loved to watch the snow come down, it was so pretty. And it was. We sat quietly together and watched the snow slowly descend. We talked about matters that were on her mind. It slowed my energy and taught me to be aware of the world around me. Although it was still snowing on my way home, my view of it was so different. The first snow flurry of the winter season always reminds me of her. There was a light dusting of snow today. Life lessons come from all directions.