April 20, 2007
Countless Contributions
Genesis celebrates more than 1,300 volunteers
DAVENPORT, IOWA - After 3,829 hours and nearly 17 years of volunteering at the Genesis, Illini Campus, it would be pretty easy for 95-year-old Maria Schacht to take a break.
With 80 years in the workforce that began during the Great Depression, no one would begrudge the hospital’s oldest volunteer the leisure she is due. Then again, everyone would miss her Belgian accent, her zest for life and the way she jokes around with visitors and fellow volunteers. And what about that great smile? It’s the kind that can take the edge off worries that often come with visiting or receiving treatment in a hospital.
“Oh, I Iove it,” she says of her volunteerism. “I don’t want to give it up. I like people. It’s an excuse to get out of the house. I always wanted to be a nurse, but had to quit school and work at 15.”
After heart surgery, Schacht had to stop pushing patients in wheelchairs and feared her days of volunteerism would have to end. Volunteer director Gerry Hutchinson assured her, however, that there was plenty she could still do. Happily, Schacht continues her Monday morning shifts, answering phones and assisting visitors.
“Most of all, Maria gives our other volunteers inspiration of what life can hold for us as we age,” Hutchinson says, adding that volunteerism is a two-way street. “Our volunteers give to us, and in return, we give back to them.”
Helping hands
Schacht is one of about 1,300 volunteers throughout Genesis Health System who give directions, arrange floral bouquets, knit baby hats and soothe the concerns of patients and families. Their countless contributions are being celebrated during this week’s National Volunteer Week.
Without the Auxilian volunteer force, homebound seniors would be without the nutritious meals delivered for nearly four decades by the DeWitt hospital auxiliary. Without the money raised (and it has surpassed the million-dollar mark) there would be no automated medication dispensing equipment, voice-activated Operating Room technology or a new bus for seniors. There would be no gift shops; no one to dispense blankets and compassion to families dealing with medical crises; and no one to help them pass the anxious hours waiting news of their critically ill loved ones. There would be no Illini Campus volunteers bearing treats from the snack cart.
And volunteers like Cliff Gribble wouldn’t be there to wheel patients and, more importantly, provide levity to tense patients about to undergo a heart procedure at the East Rusholme Street campus. A veteran of angioplasty, stents and quadruple bypass surgery himself, he can attest “I’ve been through it.” He will even unveil his scar to prove there’s life after heart surgery.
“I provide advice and a little comic relief,” Gribble, 57, says. “Every now and then, a laugh makes people relax. People come here and are as nervous as can be. More often than not, by the time I get them in their rooms, they’re giggling and their shoulders are more relaxed. As we head down the hallway from the registration office, we have quite a distance to the cardiac outpatient wing, and usually by the time they get there, they know ‘This guy has been through it, too.’ “
As a side benefit, miles of walking have improved Gribble’s health and reduced his medication needs. The real benefit, however, is helping patients and being part of the Genesis family, he says. “I get handshakes and hugs. That’s my paycheck.”
Priceless contributions
Sandy Hull, who manages the volunteer workforce at Genesis, Davenport, said it’s impossible to put a price on volunteers’ unique talents and contributions. “If we had to pay for the services of the 890 volunteers who served 76,592 hours last year at Genesis, Davenport, it would be about $1,232,160,” she estimates.
Under the leadership of Gary Jessen, the first male Auxiliary president at Genesis and one of only a few in Iowa, the male volunteer workforce grew from 4 percent to 12 percent in just a year, she adds.
At the Illini Campus, 132 volunteers, 175 Auxilians and eight volunteer chaplains donated an estimated 19,000 hours in the past year. Auxilians held 16 fund-raisers and gave $50,000 toward the purchase of a new bus for Illini Restorative Care and Crosstown Square residents and donated to the hospital’s emergency medication fund. They also boosted staff morale, donning bunny ears around Easter and delivering 42 candy baskets to hospital departments, Hutchinson said.
At Genesis, DeWitt, an avid volunteer work force averages a total of about 600 hours per month. Volunteer coordinator Melodie Schutt can’t say enough about the volunteers of all ages who drop by WestWing Place to plant flowers, give wheelchair rides or help with bus outings at the long-term care facility.
At 16, North Scott High School student Samantha Scheckel of Long Grove, Iowa, helps in the West Central Park gift shop on weekends. She has learned far more than how to make milkshakes and use the gift shop cash register, she says. She has learned to talk with people who come to the gift shop, often because they need a break from illness or a bedside vigil.
“Sometimes people come in, and you can tell they’re not feeling well or are a little upset,” she says. “You ask them how their day is, and they often open up and tell you stories about a loved one who’s sick and how they’re dealing with it.”
Jack Simpson, 75, of Davenport, a hospice volunteer with Genesis VNA and Hospice, visits with patients; lends his faith if needed; listens to the burdens and fears of terminally ill patients; and, provides a break to their weary caregivers. He says the rewards of volunteerism make the job worthwhile. “Being with people in their final time on Earth and to share their joys and concerns is the greatest privilege. I’ve lost quite a few patients, and when they’re gone, I have fond memories of them and their bravery,” he says. “This is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.”
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