August 21, 2006

Learn about Genesis Befrienders Program

DAVENPORT, Iowa -- Do friends come to you with their problems, frustrations, fears and joys?  Do people tell you that you are a good listener?  You could explore your abilities as a volunteer Befriender through the Spiritual Care Department at Genesis Medical Center. 

Befrienders are a select community of caregivers who are trained to listen to patient stories in a way that promotes healing.

“Hospitalization can be a scary time. A patient may be feeling alone, afraid and pondering changes in health and life,” says Chaplain Jeanne Olsen, Director of the Befriender Program.  “A Befriender is there to compassionately listen and provide supportive, spiritual ministry without imposing their own religious beliefs on patients.”

An informational meeting to further explain the program will be held Tuesday, Aug. 22, from 3-4 p.m., at Genesis Medical Center, West Central Park.  The meeting will be held in the Lombard Room (use Lombard Street entrance and ask for directions to the room at the information desk).

The Genesis Spiritual Care department has been training Befrienders for 40 years and is an integral part of Genesis’s vision of well-rounded and complete care of body, mind and spirit.  Referrals for a Befriender visit often come from nurses, doctors and the patients themselves.

Volunteers go through approximately 40 hours of training that emphasizes listening with particular sensitivity to the stories of grief, illness, crisis and life review. When the training is completed the volunteers may visit patients and their families in the hospital or work in the Grief Recovery Group.

There are 43 dedicated Genesis Befrienders who serve each week in a care-giving ministry that touches patients in a personal and intimate way.  If you are interested in this type of service, please call the Spiritual Care office at (563) 421-1756 to speak with Chaplain Jeanne. An application and interview are part of the admission process.  

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