Primary Children’s will celebrate National Volunteer Week, April 15-21 by letting our 800 Volunteers know how much they are appreciated for all the work they do to help make a difference in the life of a child and their families while they are in the hospital.

Our volunteers represent diverse backgrounds, ages, interests, skills, and professions, but they have one thing in common – an interest in the well-being of children and making a difference.

This year’s National Volunteer Week theme is, “Volunteers – A World of Diversity…One Purpose,” which reflects the collaborative, multifaceted role many volunteers have in helping to provide high-quality service to patients at Primary Children’s in a timely manner.

Volunteers can be found throughout Primary Children’s. Serving important roles in the Emergency Department, Rapid Treatment Unit, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Neuroscience Trauma Unit, The Forever Young Zone playroom, as well as in many other areas in the hospital, and outpatient facilities.

Volunteer assignments include Pet Therapy, Patient/Family Liaison, Kids Crew, Music, Clergy/Pastoral care, Pediatric Education / Tutors, Information Services, Gift Shop, Parent Resource Center, as well as many other assignments within the hospital and at outpatient facilities.

“I am always impressed with the compassion of our volunteers, and reminded daily of each one’s personal commitment to ‘The Child First and Always,’” said Stella Narajowski, Director of Volunteer Services.

Of our 800 volunteers, approximately half are involved in the popular Kids Crew volunteer Program. Kids Crew volunteers fill patient requests for toys and other diversion activities. They also interact with patients and their siblings in the Forever Young Zone playroom on the third floor, and with children in outpatient areas while they are waiting. Last year Kids Crew volunteers filled 11,019 requests by patients for toys or other interactions. During 2011, the Kids Crew increased the number of requests fulfilled by nearly 10 percent from 2010. In addition to interacting with children, Kids Crew volunteers help by holding babies whose parents can’t be with them, sit with a child to allow a parent to take a break, and clean toys.

Unlike its name, Kids Crew is not a volunteer group made of “kids”. The title more accurately means that it’s a group of volunteers who are focused on the “kids” in the hospital. Kids Crew volunteers range in age from 16 to 76, with the majority being college-aged students preparing to go into a medical field and looking for experience interacting with patients. While some may begin their volunteer experience because they need that experience, most soon realize that the best part of their week is when they are volunteering and making a difference in the lives of the patients.

One of our Kids Crew volunteers said:

“It feels like I’m making a difference in people’s lives. I like to think I’m helping them take their minds off of what they’re going through for a few minutes. And I try to keep things entertaining for the other volunteers so that everyone’s having fun.”

Recently a former volunteer returned from military duty in Iraq and shared this:

“I recently returned from Iraq, and had just started up school again, getting ready to start a new job, and slowly adjusting to civilian life as I once knew it, but something was missing. Then I realized what that ‘something’ was, a selfless service. I really enjoyed the time I spent at Primary Children’s and wanted to continue serving those incredible kids after my ‘hiatus.’”

Our incredible volunteers contributed 54,898 hours of service to Primary Children’s in 2011. This represents more volunteer hours and more volunteers than all other Intermountain Healthcare hospitals. Without the incredible support from the community, we couldn’t provide the excellence of care that each child and family receives at Primary Children’s.

For more information about volunteering at Primary Children’s or one of our off-site treatment facilities, please visit our website.