Physical Therapy
Volunteers assist the Therapy staff with patient transport, generally from the 4th floor to the Rehab gym and back. Other duties may include helping as directed in the gym. Weekday mornings are the busiest times, but volunteers are welcome anytime between 9 and 2pm, M-F or 9 to noon on Saturdays.
Plant Care
Each of the 5 nursing wings, as well as the administration area, needs an individual to water the plants in the residents’ rooms once a week, with pruning or fertilizing as needed. These jobs can be done at any time that suits the volunteer’s schedule. Another weekly job is arranging the flowers delivered by McArdles each Monday morning in time for the 11:00 Chapel service. Each volunteer is encouraged to tend to the plants in the greenhouse as well.
Gift Shop
Shop staffers do the selling. Prices are marked, so staffers either take cash or write up a room charge for resident purchases. Additional volunteers are always needed to extend the hours the shop is open, which would ideally be from 10 or 11 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday, with additional hours on Saturday. Saturday and afternoon staffers are particularly needed.
Religious Services
Volunteers transport residents from all the floors to the chapel on the first floor for the four weekly religious services, all at 11 AM. Mass is on Mondays, Rosary is on Tuesdays, a Protestant Service is on Wednesdays, and a Protestant Eucharistic service is celebrated on Sundays. The volunteers assist during the service with songs and prayers, and return residents to their floors after the service. Another rotating group of volunteers, from St. Mary’s Church, comes on Sundays to deliver communion. A rotating group from Christ Church, runs the service in the chapel on Sundays.
Unit Assistant
This is an administrative job of sorts: helping the nursing staff on a unit with various clerical/secretarial functions as they come up. Help is needed every day from 7am to 7pm.
Music
Talented musicians are always welcome to come and entertain our residents. They may play at any of our pianos in each wing, or in the auditorium, or bring their own instrument. Many of our musical volunteers are teenagers honing their craft, but adults also commit their time on a regular basis.
Recreation
Our therapeutic recreation staff welcomes assistance at their regular as well as special activities. Generally in the auditorium, these programs range from music to news to games, etc., but help is always needed in transporting residents to and from their units, and usually in assisting or serving residents during the activity. Opportunities exist Monday through Saturday, in both the morning and afternoon.
Visiting
Visitors are a window to the world, and many volunteers enhance our residents’ lives through one-on-one relationships. One might come for conversation, or to play cards, or to read to a resident, depending on the mutual interests of the visitor and resident.
Pet Therapy
Another way to visit our residents is to bring your leashed pet. Friendly and well-trained dogs are always welcome, at any time (except meal time), and ideally the pet owner will spend a little bit of time with a good number of residents. Cats are also a treat to see.
Beauty Shop
Our Beauty Shop, open Monday through Thursday, is a busy spot, and volunteers help our paid staff with resident transport as well as administrative tasks. Helping out with hair styling and cutting requires a license.
Other
Volunteers do fit into other specialized spots. These include working outdoors in the garden, helping with admissions paperwork, doing a mailing, or presenting a recreation event. One might do an art show, offer a gardening activity, supervise an arts and crafts activity, or do a slide show. We love to take advantage of the special talents of our volunteers.