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Hospital Volunteers

Approximately 1,700 volunteers donate their time, compassion and experience to 90 different volunteer programs across the MUHC. They play an integral role in the lives of patients, visitors and staff, whether it is assisting with clerical work, providing friendly service at gift shops, mealtime support or simply leading an ear and a hug for those in need. Their caring makes our hospitals that much more special.

“Our volunteers give their heart and soul,” says Rita Giulione, interim coordinator of the Montreal General Hospital Volunteer Service. “They are dedicated 100 per cent for the patients – it’s their passion.” For more than 15 years, one special volunteer at the MGH – Charles Olsheffky – has been making breakfast every Tuesday morning for the geriatric patients. “It’s a very special part of their week,” says Ms. Giulione.

For a quarter of a century, the Friends of the Neuro – a non-profit group of dedicated volunteers – has raised money for the MNH and helped patients and their families. Through numerous fundraising activities, the Friends purchase hospital equipment, fund bursaries for nurses, and support the Neuro Patient Resource Centre. Volunteers on the Greeting Committee visit each new patient and offer a variety of personal items and reading material. Members of the Users’ Committee work to improve facilities and quality of life for patients, such as ensuring equal access through the installation of ramps and providing funds for patient information pamphlets.

Volunteers can have a profound impact on the lives of patients, particularly at the Children’s hospital. “We have a young child who has been with us for eight months now,” says Ann Hebert, Volunteer manager at The Children’s. “He was always alone, but now he receives at least 30 hours of volunteer care each week. It’s wonderful to see him smile in recognition of his volunteer family.”

“We always train and sensitize our volunteers to the patient populations they work with,” says Nevine Fateen, manager of the Volunteer Service at the Chest Institute, Neurological Hospital and Royal Victoria Hospital. “Some volunteers even go on to become fulltime health-care workers.” The Student Training and Education Program (STEP) is one of the volunteer programs that the adult sites of the MUHC are particularly proud of. The program, developed by Ms. Fateen in 2004 and financially supported by Pfizer, encourages students to consider careers in health-care. “They learn about the health-care area within which they volunteer, and staff members work with them to maximize their involvement for the benefit of patients,” says Ms. Fateen. “It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.”