April 19 – April 25 marks the 2020 National Volunteer Appreciation Week! A time to recognize and celebrate the kindness of our volunteers!
According to Points of Light, “National Volunteer Week was established in 1974 and today, as people strive to lead lives that reflect their values, the expression of civic life has evolved and doing good comes in many forms, and we recognize and celebrate them all.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, most of our volunteer activities have been suspended, but we are still pleased to celebrate their generous spirit and kind hearts! We are thankful to many of our volunteers who have been making homemade masks for our clinicians, which is greatly appreciated, and our volunteer Board Members have continued to work very closely with our leadership team to provide guidance and support. We are grateful to all who are finding creative ways to give back during this challenging time, and we look forward to when they will once again be out in our communities in their very important volunteer roles.
At Cornerstone VNA, we are deeply fortunate to have many wonderful volunteers, drawn from all walks of life, ranging in age from 4th grade all the way up to the “not telling anymore” age. Our volunteers include those who provide weekly visits for card games and tea, and those who provide pet companion visits, facilitate caregiver cafés, and assist with special events and office projects. Some volunteers support our hospice patients, and provide respite care, which enables caregivers to be able to get out of the house to do errands or have time to themselves without worrying about their loved one at home. We have volunteer balance coaches who teach special classes in the community to assist with falls prevention, and we also have volunteer board members who provide guidance and support to our leadership team. All of our volunteers are sincere, dedicated and passionate. The impact that our volunteer team has on our organization is astounding! Last year, they gave over 7,100 hours of kind volunteerism to support our patients and the Cornerstone VNA team!
Here is how our volunteers are described:
- “ I can’t thank you enough for “hooking us up” with our volunteer. She and my husband had a great visit on Tuesday and I got to visit one of my dear friends.”
- “My volunteer is absolutely wonderful, very caring and always wants to know how I am doing, we talk and talk and talk and I look forward to her visits so much…”
Our volunteers complete our “Circle of Caring” and are an integral and invaluable part of our agency. You can learn more about our volunteers at cornerstonevna.org/volunteer. #NationalVolunteerWeek