‘Every aspect of our service and patient care at St John of God Geelong Hospital is inspired by our Mission and demonstrated through our Values of Hospitality, Compassion, Respect, Justice and Excellence. It is these Values which guide our holistic approach to caregiving. We currently have just over 120 volunteers working throughout our Hospital in many different roles. These roles can range from Patient Support & Hospitality, Patient Companionship and Patient Transport to Concierge, Maintenance, Café Support and attending to Patients flowers’.
We hear from Jade Bone who is new to the role of Volunteer Services Coordinator at St John of God Geelong. ‘Our volunteers are an invaluable and dynamic part of service to our patients, their families and visitors and our caregivers. They are our ‘above and beyond’, going the extra mile to help ensure patients and visitors to the Hospital have a positive and individual experience. Our volunteers come from all walks of life, bringing with them different skills, experiences and reasons for wanting to volunteer. They may be students who are looking for exposure in a Hospital setting or retirees who would like to give back to the community’.
“Our volunteer program is well established, with volunteers making a long term commitment to work a 4 hour shift each week. Many of our volunteers are past patients who decide to volunteer because of the service they received. So many valuable skills are learnt through volunteering, the benefit of social interaction and friendships formed and the satisfaction that is gained from helping others, knowing that your contribution is valued and important and that you are making a difference in someone’s life.”
If you are interested in volunteering at St John of God Geelong Hospital, contact Jade Bone on 03 5215 0968 or email volunteergeelong@sjog.org.au . For more information, visit https://www.sjog.org.au/our-locations/st-john-of-god-geelong-hospital/working-with-us/volunteers
Story and photo sourced by Jacqui Bennett, supplied by St John of God. Pictured: Cartwheels Art Program volunteer team and Roslyn Pollard, Arts & Health Project Officer (pictured 3rd from the left).
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