How To Volunteer At A Healthcare Establishment

Volunteering is a fulfilling experience that requires you to commit to a good cause for free. What you get in return are many benefits and a content heart for having made a stranger smile. It is a much better and more fruitful way of spending your extra time than wasting it scrolling through social media for hours.

Studies have shown that volunteering is especially a beneficial practice for people prone to poor emotional and mental health.

But the benefits are not limited to this. You are likely to connect with like-minded people, explore career opportunities, and gain tangible benefits.

Keep in mind that volunteering is unpaid and can prove dangerous depending. Take 9/11 for example. The volunteers who came to the rescue of of individuals lost in the rubble, or those who took part in clean up efforts were exposed to harmful toxins at Ground Zero. These heroic individuals were never paid for their helpful actions, however may have paid the ultimate price in helping.

Side note:  There is currently compensation for 9/11 volunteers who stood up to rescue and cleanup when crisis struck, and it’s advised to reach out to an attorney if you believe your medical condition is a direct result of your volunteering during 9/11 efforts.

So, if you choose to use your goodwill in situations of emergency, be assured that you will be compensated if the need arises.

When it comes to volunteering, we mostly think of shelters, campaigns, and cleanup drives.

Do you know where else you can volunteer? A hospital or other healthcare establishment. If you wish to pursue a career in the medical field, you should open a window to volunteering at the nearest hospital. Here is how you can do it.

 

Make a list of healthcare establishments.

Volunteering at hospitals will require you to give ample time to patients. Therefore, choose a location that is accessible and convenient to reach. You can also look for clinics and nursing homes. They may be small, but they will allow you to connect with your patients better. Though, remember not to get attached to the patients.

Once you have looked through the potential options and called them to ask for volunteering opportunities, you should have a list of shortlisted healthcare centers.

 

Check requirements and eligibility.

You want to check the healthcare establishment’s volunteer requirements, opportunities, and eligibility criteria. Most hospitals will require you to be 16 years or older. Also, ask them about the time commitment. You might have to see if the time commitment matches your availability if you are a student.

Let them also ask questions to clarify if you are a good fit to volunteer with them.

If all goes well, they might want to take you through a short training with their staff. It is a good idea to clarify all doubts before proceeding with the training.

 

Check positions available.

There are many things that a volunteer can do. Depending on what the establishment allows you to do, you can work with the hospital staff, spend time with patients, help with administrative tasks, help doctors during surgeries, etc.

There will be jobs for you even if you are not from a medical background. These include reading to patients, bringing them treats, running the front desk, and helping older patients get around. Highlighting your volunteer work on resume can also boost your career prospects.

Feel free to ask the staff for more positions if none fit you. Start thinking about the age group of patients you want to work with or entertain visitors and staff.

 

Get a health clearance certificate.

Before you start working, you will be required to get a health clearance certificate from the hospital to certify that you are fit to do your job. This will consist of your medical record, immunization history, and maybe even the doctors you have been to for your treatments.

 

Attend orientation.

You must attend an orientation training to know the workings of the staff, how things are done and what the SOP is for most duties.

Orientation will brief you about the expectations that have been kept on you, the history and mission of the hospital, and the rules and procedures you must take care of. This should be your priority because you want to do things right. Ask any doubts without hesitation.

 

Be professional.

Even if you are not a full-time employee, you must carry yourself professionally throughout your duties because you represent the organization as a volunteer. Listen to your patients, be respectful, maintain boundaries, but ensure they are taken care of.

However, such helping jobs can get exhausting and drain you of your energy. Do not lose your calm if it happens. Work on building a healthy mindset so you can be fresh and happy while attending to patients.

 

Conclusion

If you have never given volunteering a chance, it is time you do. There are only a few things as fulfilling as this, and yet it is one of a kind experience. There are plenty of places that are open to volunteers. Look around, and choose your organization.

These Are 10 Ways You Can Help Your Community

Communities are essential for economic and social growth. Having strong neighborhood bonds makes you happier and gives you people to lean on during a crisis. Here are 10 ways you can help your community. 

Volunteer at Your Local Soup Kitchen

Soup kitchens are vital resources for homeless people and might even be the only meal they have that day. In fact globally, 820 million people are hungry. You can help to serve food or cook meals. 

If you want to work directly with people, you can greet regulars and welcome newcomers. Plus, you can meet various types of people, from veterans to children. It can allow you to connect with community members and be more accepting. 

Support Your Church

Churches often need volunteers, especially for community events. These activities usually require people to help organize and run them. You can also help during the service or sing in the choir. Many churches also offer mission trips. 

These are a great way to connect with others and help out struggling communities. For example, you could build homes or teach English in schools. These trips go to multiple places, such as Mexico or Costa Rica. 

Be a Summer Camp Counselor

Volunteering at a summer camp is a fun way to spend the summer. You can help assist children and even engage in fun activities, like swimming. You also have a chance to teach kids valuable skills, like maturity. 

Plus, it’s a fun way to bond with your campers and let out your inner child. If you went to that specific summer camp, it could even bring back fond memories. 

Tutor or Mentor a Child

If you have math or reading skills, then you can help students while earning some extra cash. Teaching can be a rewarding experience. You give the kid one-on-one attention and help them learn the material in their own way. 

As a tutor, determine the kids learning style, such as auditory or visual. If they are more visual, use graphs and images to explain complex materials. You can also mentor a student through programs like Big Pal to help them socially. Often these kids didn’t have a good role model growing up. 

Donate Items

Donations can give your items a new life while helping the planet. Give your things to thrift stores, shelters and charities. Goodwill and Salvation Army are popular options. Think about items you don’t use anymore, including clothes, blankets and shoes. 

Consider donating unwanted books as well. It can help parents who can’t afford children’s books or schools with lower budgets. Besides helping the community, it gives you an excuse to declutter. 

Clean Up Your Local Park

Organize a group of people to help pick up trash from the park. This debris can be carried into oceans and harm marine life. Plus, when the litter breaks down, it pollutes the air. Along with the park, collect trash along roadsides. 

Cleaning the place helps the environment and makes it more visually appealing. To enhance the park’s attractiveness, consider petitioning for a community playground. These help encourage physical activity and social interaction. 

Serve at a Homeless Shelter 

About 15,000 Pennsylvanians are homeless. These shelters give people a place to crash until  they figure out their situation. Giving your time can be a rewarding experience. You could cook food, clean common rooms or teach them a new language. 

If you want to work with children, you can do an arts and crafts project. Suppose you have a busy schedule during the week. Consider stopping by for a few hours on the weekend. 

Go to Your Local Senior Center

Many seniors don’t often receive visitors, especially with COVID-19 restrictions. Visiting can give the residents some company and brighten their day. It’s a great way to connect with your community and even hear interesting stories. 

You can also help with events, such as running bingo and exercise classes. If you enjoy this, consider volunteering at the facility for an extended time. You could bake goods or make cards as well.

Help Your Local Economy

To help your community grow financially, shop at local vendors. For example, get your produce from farmers’ markets instead of grocery stores. It helps the economy and gives you healthier choices. 

Also, shop local businesses for items like clothes and shoes. Look for family-owned businesses instead of retail chains. You might even want to start your own company or business if you have the time and resources. Then you can offer a product your community needs and create more jobs.

Conserve Energy

In 2015, we used about 575 quadrillion Btu of energy, straining communal resources and hurting the environment. Burning fossil fuel releases greenhouse gas emissions that pollute the air. To conserve energy, switch to renewable sources and use energy star-rated appliances. 

Here are some more simple ways to conserve energy:

● Turn off lights
● Use a fan instead of blasting air-conditioning
● Lower your water heater temperature
● Unplug electronics from your outlets

How to Help Your Community 

Communities need to support each other, especially during hard times. You also want to create a welcoming space for you and your family to live in. Consider trying some of these tips to make a difference in your community today. 

About The Author

Ava Roman (she/her) is the Managing Editor of Revivalist, a women’s lifestyle magazine that empowers women to live their most authentic life. When Ava is not writing you’ll find herin a yoga class, advocating for body positivity, whipping up something delicious in the kitchen, or smashing the patriarchy. 

How to Raise Children Who Are Socially Responsible

As you raise your children to be the best versions of themselves, the question may well come up of exactly how to raise socially responsible and informed children who will eventually become socially responsible citizens of the world. Whether you’re looking ahead to the future for your little ones or you’re exploring the possibilities for your kids where they are right now, there are plenty of techniques you can use to raise socially responsible kids. Of course, every child, parent and family are different, and each of these tips will operate differently in your family. But no matter what, there are plenty of ways to raise socially responsible kids, and practice your own ethics along the way.

Stay Aware of Current Events

Even though some current events aren’t entirely age-appropriate for much younger kids, there are plenty of ways to appropriately integrate world news into your household so your kids grow up with a bit more global — and local — awareness. You can discuss the events in ways that you see fit, ask them to form their own opinions on things and make it a point of discussion within your household. Perhaps set an intention to talk about events in your community more intentionally, as this can lead to feeling more connected to others in the world at large.

Lead By Example

Kids always want to be like the people they look up to, and as their parent, that includes you! This means that in social responsibility — as well as a variety of other areas — it’s your job to lead by example and show them what it looks like to be a socially responsible adult in the world. Of course, this isn’t a cut-and-dry process. It’s lifelong, which means that as you consider and grow in your own journey, let your kids see that along the way.

Help Them Experience Diversity

Although diversity is not the primary part of social responsibility, it is definitely included in that process. If you are looking to diversify your child’s experience in the world, simply make sure that they are in environments and settings in which they can experience a true reflection of the world around them. Whether that means bringing them around your social circle or participating in the community around you, having a clear representation of others and their experiences can help to build empathy, and therefore, social responsibility.

Volunteer Together

One of the best ways to teach social responsibility is through action, and there’s pretty much no better way to explore that action than volunteering together. Kids often want to participate in helping out their communities, but they definitely need a little bit of guidance and supervision from a parent like you. You can guide them and ingrain volunteering as a regular habit and a part of life in your household, and that way it will feel natural to continue as they get older. Whether you volunteer for a local charity organization, school fundraiser or even other local efforts like political campaigns and neighborhood cleanups, volunteering together can show your children what it’s like to participate in the community around them.

Let Them Ask Questions

At the end of the day, your home should be the ultimate safe space for your kids to learn and grow in their character. It’s totally all right if they don’t know exactly what they’re doing right away. You are their parent, and you are there to guide them, so it’s important to allow them to ask questions and come to you with any concerns or anything that they don’t understand so that you can help them be more socially responsible in the future. Make sure they know that they can always come to you with questions and concerns.

Prioritize Self Care

Even with an emphasis on social responsibility, one of the most important things that you can do to gear your children up for that emotional labor is to focus on self-care within your own household. By making self-care a habit that they can routinely return to, you can make sure that they strike a balance in their life that continues throughout the years.

Explore Their Own Identity

This one is another tip that involves internal focus, but it is extremely important for developing a sense of social consciousness in your kids. Essentially, childhood is the time that the identity and the self develop the most, and in order to balance outward responsibility with inward responsibility, it’s important to have a strong sense of self to keep that empathy rooted. Make sure that you spend time and effort helping your kids explore their own identities so that they can become well-rounded and involved citizens.

Raising Socially Responsible Kids

Raising your children to be socially responsible and conscious is an extremely important and rewarding part of life, especially if that’s important to your values. By setting a good example, allowing them to experience and understand the world and by developing their own self-care and sense of identity, you can absolutely raise children who are socially responsible and who make that a priority in their lives as they grow.

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About The Author

Ava Roman (she/her) is the Managing Editor of Revivalist, a women’s lifestyle magazine that empowers women to live their most authentic life. When Ava is not writing you’ll find herin a yoga class, advocating for body positivity, whipping up something delicious in the kitchen, or smashing the patriarchy. 

Giving is Living

As far back as I can recall, I have always been a giver. Living in awareness of the world around me, wanting to be helpful and generous in thoughtful and meaningful ways. While this was not something that was modeled for me growing up, it was something I was deeply drawn to. What I know for sure is that giving feels wonderful, for both the giver and the recipient. Each and every time. It’s a win-win. As a young child I quickly realized this and I wanted more of it. It was the catalyst to make my first career change during college. Overtime, giving simply became a strong part of my identity, and a lifestyle for me.

As a volunteer in a pediatric oncology unit during college, I learned the importance of blood donations. While I had donated blood prior to that experience, I saw firsthand how something so simple and quick to do was literally life-changing for these children I had the honor to get to know. I began to donate blood regularly. It was one of my most favorite things to do. It still is today. About twenty years later, I heard about a young man in need of a kidney. At the time, I had no idea donating a kidney was something one could do while alive. I immediately wanted to learn more to see if I could help. After educating myself and speaking to other donors, I began the testing process. While I was not a match for this man, I was matched with another patient. On May 14, 2018, I had the privilege of donating one of my two healthy kidneys to a stranger who had been on dialysis for years. It brings me great joy to know what I was able to do for another human being and his family as their quality of life changed in a profound way. My mission continues as I do whatever I can to help raise awareness and educate others about giving in a variety of ways. I want people to realize how joyful giving can be. How it enhances and often transforms our lives and the lives of others. I want people to experience those feelings again and again, on a regular basis.

I met an extraordinary mother on Instagram. Michelle has a son who needed a kidney several years ago. She was not able to donate due to medical reasons. Her co-worker saw her crying at her desk one day and cared enough to notice and ask her what was going on. He ended up donating his kidney to her son. The care, the kindness, the awareness, and of course the ultimate generosity to act. He got tested and offered a part of himself to a stranger. Michelle remains deeply grateful and continues to raise awareness and match donors and recipients. She recently made a match via Instagram. Sami was an altruistic donor for Claudia.

I believe wholeheartedly that humans are inherently good and want to do good. That is why I created My Giving Journal. This daily journal serves as a guide to help us live in gratitude as we incorporate generosity and kindness into our daily lives. Opportunities are all around us. We just need to be aware and thoughtful as we live each day we are given. My Giving Journal is a path to thriving rather than simply surviving. It’s a way to live a life and a lifestyle of generosity, kindness and gratitude. I hope you get your copy and experience one of life’s greatest joys as you live well by doing good.

Purchase your journal here.

 

Connect with Adena @mygivingco on Instagram
Connect with Michelle @kidneyconnect on Instagram


L-R: Sami (donor), Claudia (recipient), Michelle (matchmaker)

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