Finally being of age, we were eager to volunteer at a hospital this summer.
After submitting our online applications in February, getting our interview invitation in March, and finally attending the training session in May, we became official volunteers (or, affectionately-named, volunteens) at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.
Now that the 8 weeks are over, we sadly will be saying goodbye to our (hopefully first) year with CHOA. Keep reading to learn in detail about what we did, what we learned, and what we’ll remember about the experience.
Chelsy
When I found out that I’d been placed at the gift shop, I wasn’t sure how to feel. I had envisioned my time spent in patients’ rooms, but instead I was going to be working a glorified retail job.
What I didn’t realize then, was how my position would help me build a deeper understanding of the hospital outside of surgeries and treatments, and also make meaningful relationships with people essential to the hospital that were, in fact, not patients.
What I did
My tasks included:
- Refilling bags of snacks and tropical candy
- Receiving stock shipments
- Placing stickers on items
- Folding clothes
- Blowing balloons
- Creating gift bags and delivering them to patients
For my first two weeks, no one placed an order during my shift. I wanted so badly to see the hospital outside of the store’s glass windows. In the following weeks, I got to deliver at least one order per shift.
The gift orders were usually not from parents, but rather their teacher, classmates, grandparents, aunts and uncles, or cousins. They could include stuffed animals, coloring books, fidget toys, and tons of snacks.
Sometimes, the patient would be placed in isolation, so I left the bags with nurses. When I could come in and deliver them myself, the surprised expression on tired parents’ and patient’s faces always made me feel warm inside.
My most improved skill: twirling the strings of the balloons with scissors (I used to accidentally cut them). My least improved skill: folding clothes and putting them up on shelves… Can you tell I don’t like doing laundry?
What I learned
The gift shop is more than what it seems.
Over time, the gift shop seemed less like a shop and more like the heart of a community. Atondra, Tania, Krissy, and Chasidy were employees that I worked with regularly. I admired their ability to have genuine conversations, both with the customers and with me.
Amidst the bustle of newcomers, I could always count to see regulars, who were hospital employees coming in for their daily dose of sweets. The store supervisor Danica’s act of bringing lemon cookies for us made me feel so lucky to be a part of this place that incites happiness in patients and staff alike.
What I’ll Remember
Outside of the shop stands a double-sided sign, shaped like an arrow. The store hours are written on the front, while the back has the occasional employee discount notice or an inspirational quote.
Somehow, I naturally assumed the role of changing the quote every week. I was bad at choosing them (usually Tania or Chasidy took care of that), but I’d be the one to write it, meticulously and colorfully, until I was satisfied with the way it looked.
The week after the first time I wrote it, Danica told me about a man who angrily barged into the store. “Who wrote that?”
She thought she’d get in trouble, but then the man said he really needed to hear those words, and thank you. Since then, I took my job very seriously because I hoped that someone would be affected by the words as they passed by, maybe gain a little strength or motivation.
I was a mere high schooler in the vast hospital full of patients, procedures, hard decisions, and urgency–things I’ve yet to fully understand.
With the sign, I hoped that someone here could gain something from me volunteering, as much as I gained from being a volunteer.
Maddie – What I did
My tasks included:
- Assisting patients with various arts and crafts projects
- Maintaining the organization of the art cart
- Push the cart to various areas of the hospital
- Bringing requested supplies to patient rooms
- Preparing and assembling art activities to be delivered on cart
On orientation day, I toured the hospital and went over the protocol. As I roamed the countless hallways and rooms, everything felt so foreign. My brain suddenly had a flood of questions and doubts. What if I broke a rule? What if I got lost?
Anxiety continued to course through me until I reached the threshold of my first patient’s room. Playing and conversing with him seemed so routine and natural. My partner and I had so much fun listening to him talk about the Netflix shows he enjoyed watching and bonding over our love for Chick-fil-a while painting a wooden plane in his favorite colors!
I’m glad I had him as my first patient. He helped to see that this job would be so much more than just doing arts and crafts. It’s also about making connections with the patients and parents.
In the following shifts, as I painted, colored, and built creation after creation, I kept in constant conversation with my patients. I wanted them to have someone to relate to. Someone their age that they could talk to about things outside of the hospital.
My most improved skill: communicating with others and having patience. My least improved skill: drawing. It’s ironic since my job is to assist with arts and crafts, but oh well!
What I learned
Communication is more than just words.
Many people see being non-verbal or shy as a handicap, but that’s not entirely true. They just adapt and learn to communicate in other ways, like with their facial expressions and body language. I recall one particular patient that showcased this. He couldn’t speak, but instead helped me understand what he needed through gestures: nudging a water cup whenever he wanted to clean his paintbrush or pointing to the color of paint he wanted.
The communication flowed easily between us. I did most of the speaking, but my patient would respond by shaking his head “yes” or “no” to my questions. He flashed a big smile at my jokes, and sometimes I would even get a hint of laughter. There was no shortage of emotion or communication from him despite being non-verbal.
What I’ll Remember
I’ll always remember the thankful smiles from the parents. For some, my presence meant they could finally take a bathroom break and relax for a bit. Others took the time to check things off of their list, like class assignments or work emails.
I could see how much having a moment to themselves meant. No matter how much you love your child, it’s tiring to dedicate almost every second of your day to them. Keeping children full of energy entertained is no joke, especially if they are confined to a dreary hospital room and bed all day.
I’ll always remember how my patients would light up when they saw me. Oftentimes, I would be the first person their age they had seen in a while.
One girl who was a year older and I immediately clicked. After I laid out matching space-themed landscapes for us to paint, I asked her what shows she liked to watch. I came to find out she was just as obsessed with criminal investigative shows as I was, maybe even a little more. She had watched everything from NCIS (the original and its different variations) to Criminal Minds.
Towards the end of my visit, she said something that took me by surprise. ” I really needed this, ” she told me. An expression crossed between shock and joy spread across my face. Until those four words, I don’t think I fully realized or understood the impact I had.