Volunteer Week Spotlight

Happy National Volunteer Week to our wonderful group of Volunteers at QCH!

We spoke with five of our Volunteers about why they chose to Volunteer at QCH - and during a pandemic, no less!

Celina

Hi! My name is Celina and I am one of the QCH volunteers in the Outpatient Assistance program. I have just graduated from Carleton University’s Bachelor of Social Work program and I plan to complete my Masters of Social Work in the upcoming years. A fun fact about me would be that I am a 2nd Degree blackbelt in Taekwon-do!

Before I became a volunteer, I remember getting lost in the QCH. The first person to help me find my way was a volunteer and I still remember how friendly and helpful they were. The smallest positive interaction can truly make someone’s day brighter.

With COVID-19 restrictions, some patients are unable to have a support person come with them. Because of this, volunteers play a big role in ensuring that patients have a helping hand nearby to assist with navigating around the hospital. This pandemic has really reminded me of the importance of gratitude and giving back to others. Because our hospitals are doing so much right now, the least I can do is give back to them! I love working with people so I definitely look forward to making more positive interactions as a volunteer :)

Daniel

Hello, my name is Daniel, and I am currently studying biomedical science at the University of Ottawa. I intend on working in the healthcare field in some capacity, but at the moment I envision myself as either becoming a physician or a pharmacist. In my free time, as weather permits, I enjoy playing hockey and I have also recently started my journey in learning the piano.

The pandemic has changed our lives quite a bit, with places that I once frequented like the University of Ottawa campus, now rarely being visited. This presented challenges of its own as I feel like we have lost a sense of community over the past year. But once I began volunteering at the Queensway Carleton Hospital this past January, I felt that I had gained a new community and that my participation was having a positive impact.

I have personally enjoyed my experience so far in volunteering with the Queensway Carleton Hospital, and I look forward to more experiences in the future. 

Maryam

Hi! My name is Maryam and I’m a first-year student at McGill University. I’m currently working towards a degree in pharmacology, with the goal of applying to medical school.

Apart from my studies, I've been a volunteer at the QCH for nearly two years, aside from some time away from the hospital due to COVID. The experience was something I genuinely missed a lot during that time and although I couldn't resume my shift in in-patient units, I instead took up a position sorting and delivering physician mail once I was able to get back to helping out. While I did enjoy this, I found it lacked contact and collaboration with others. That’s one of the many reasons that I was excited to also begin volunteering at the COVID Vaccination Clinic. So far, it’s been great to see such an important effort running smoothly with the combined efforts of both members of the QCH staff and volunteers.

I really encourage anyone who can to volunteer somewhere, especially now, during the pandemic, when significant extra help is needed in many essential services. Even a little bit of time that you are able to invest can go a long way :)

John

I am John Kachuik and have been a Volunteer at QCH for over 10 years.  Volunteering has had a twofold benefit: it allows me to give back to our community and provides a great social network to interact with like-minded individuals.  Besides volunteering at QCH, I also volunteer at Meridian Centerpointe Theatres, also with the Canadian Adaptive Snowsports at Edelweiss, and actively involved both on-field and off-field as an Amateur football official.

All these activities have been affected due to COVID 19.  Like many others, I await the return to a more normal time when I can get actively involved with all these activities.

During this pandemic, keeping in touch with family over electronic means, and multiple walks with our dog, have kept my wife and I, both retirees, somewhat busy but we yearn to get back to what used to be normal.  At about the time that my wife, a retired nurse, was approached by the Ottawa Hospital to become a vaccinator at the TOH Clinic, I was asked if the connectivity issues could be resolved, to assume some of the volunteer duties in the Volunteer Services Office remotely. 

The immediate reaction was an unqualified, yes!  Thanks to Glenn Hay and Mike Garlick for their efforts in getting this done.  It is difficult for me to get into words the feeling of not only satisfaction but literally relief to feel once again to be a contributor again rather than just hunkering down, like a great many others, and doing our best to not be a contributor to the spread of COVID 19.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all my volunteering activities at QCH that have had me involved with the Foundation, Infection Control, Hemodialysis, the Volunteer Office as well as a member of the Recruiting and Indoctrination team for prospective volunteers. The opportunity to be part of the professional team and make a positive impact on patients, staff, and other volunteers is one of the main reasons that I and the majority of Volunteers at QCH look forward to our weekly shifts and patiently wait to be able to physically join the rest of the QCH Team, hopefully in the near future.

PS.  It will also be great to be able to get together on the occasional break, with our daughter Jackie, who is one of the Dieticians at QCH.

Mark

Hello, my name is Mark Darroch, I am a retired Director, Community and Social Services, on my retirement, I was awarded a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Ontario Municipal Social Services Association. I wish to share a brief synopsis of my community involvement, former Chairman of The Board of Education, Past President Brockville Rotary Club, Past President-Western Ottawa Probus Club, Community Advisory Board member for Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre.

I had the pleasure to be a participant in “The Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference”, Ontario Trillum Foundation-Grant Review Member, Council of The College of Medical Laboratory Technologist of Ontario. I am a member of the Anglican Church of Canada.

I chose to be a volunteer because I care for family, friends, and our community as a whole. With my background in Social Services and Emergency Preparedness, I have a solid understanding of the importance of working together as a “Team” of dedicated, skilled, knowledgeable people of various backgrounds, to provide both medical, physical, and mental supports to each and every person who comes to Queensway-Carleton Hospital, and to do so in a kind, caring, respectful and thoughtful manner. It gives me a very good feeling when I observe everyone, smiling, speaking so pleasant and the odd person who just walks by and in a “whisper” says “Thank you”, we don’t expect a thank you, and this little act of kindness allows me to have a “Feel Good Moment”, I try to give back the same to QCH staff and community from within.

My role as a QCH volunteer, under the professional and friendly leadership, of our Volunteer Coordinator and Team, is to provide general assistance and comfort to patients and act as a liaison person between patients and staff. I also volunteer at the Vaccination Clinic, I find this very rewarding, the phrase “Team Work “is truly a “Beacon-in-The-Sky”, everyone has a role to play and they do it very well, with professionalism, while adding a friendly and comforting environment to our community visitors and to each other. The Vaccination Clinic is very well administered, it was well planned, coordinated, from the “Mock Testing”, it is welcoming, respectful, calm, well organized, and efficient service. Queensway Carleton Hospital is the secret of the west end, it’s very well administered and is praised by so many community visitors who attend for their services… Ps. It’s not a secret anymore…!!!! Thank you Queensway Carleton Hospital for giving me the wonderful opportunity to be a “QCH Volunteer” with pride.