National Healthcare Volunteer Week is celebrated this month to recognize all the dedicated people who contribute to the health of their community through volunteering. CCMH salutes the 258 volunteers who gave more than 13 thousand hours to enhancing the experience of our patients - up more than 12 percent from 2013! Below are the stories of three volunteers who selflessly give their time to CCMH.
Shirley George
After teaching second grade for more than 40 years in northern Minnesota and Gillette, Shirley George was looking to make a difference after she retired in June 2013.
“As a teacher, I didn’t have as much time to volunteer as I had liked. So, when I retired, I knew it was a great opportunity for me to give to my community,” Shirley says. So, when Shirley heard CCMH had a volunteer program, she knew exactly where she wanted to go.
Shirley, who spends the majority of her time in the CCMH Gift Shoppe, says she most enjoys helping customers find that special gift for their loved ones. She also enjoys being at CCMH overall—and that’s not just because her husband, Ken George,
Pharmacy, also works here.
“The people here are wonderful to work with—this is such a friendly, open and nurturing atmosphere. It’s a great place to volunteer,” she says.
Jean Harrod
After retiring from her job in Pioneer Manor in billing, Jean Harrod wanted to keep herself busy. So, she decided she’d come back to where she’d worked, but this time as a volunteer. Jean’s been with CCMH as a volunteer since 1997, and has 5,175 hours under her belt!
Jean primarily volunteers in the Gift Shoppe, but when it was under construction, she spent time volunteering at the Information Desk in the main lobby. When asked what her favorite part of volunteering at CCMH is, Jean says, “I get to meet a lot of different people and the employees are simply great. Everyone here is so friendly.”
Jean has seen a lot of changes at CCMH since she began volunteering – from construction and expansions, to new employees and new services. However, throughout all of it, Jean believes there is one aspect of working at CCMH that has not changed: “Being here is just very enjoyable.”
DeDe Thompson
Some of you may recognize DeDe, as she spent nearly 20 years working in CCMH Nutrition Services. An obvious people person, DeDe made the decision to volunteer at CCMH in February because she missed all the smiling faces in the organization.
“CCMH is a great place to work and to volunteer. There is such a wonderful atmosphere here and you can tell that the people here work here because they want to be here,” says DeDe. “Being a part of this team again is just so wonderful.”
DeDe now spends a few hours every Wednesday volunteering at the Information Desk in the main lobby, where she smiles and engages with as many people as she can. “If you give a smile, you will get a smile in return; regardless of the circumstances the person you are smiling at is in,” DeDe says.
This month, when you see a volunteer at the Information Desk, in the Gift Shoppe, delivering mail, or helping out in Medical Records, or other areas, please thank them for their dedication to CCMH and our community.
If you or someone you know has a few hours to give and wants to make a difference, call Lacey Grant in Volunteer Services at 307.688.1536 or visit www.ccmh.net/volunteer to learn more.