Shortage of volunteers at St. Joseph Medical Center

Berna Hughes, Wally Johnson, Steve Dunaway and Jim Donovan keep busy as volunteers at St. Joseph Medical Center. Photo by Kathy Feist

St. Joseph has volunteer shortage

 By Kathy Feist

St. Joseph Medical Center is seeking volunteers to help once or twice a week for a couple of hours in a variety of roles. 

“Volunteer wise those whom we’ve depended on are aging out,” says Pam Keenan, Manager of Volunteer Services. 

The needs include: 

• Transport volunteers – transport patients to procedure areas or to vehicles once discharged. Run errands for nursing staff. 
• Welcome desk – provide information to visitors, help navigate people to appointments or patient visits.
• Hospital gift shop – create merchandise display, assist customers with sales, support charitable causes. 
• Spiritual care – Support patients pastorally and spiritually.
• Waiting room volunteer. Keep patient’s family up to date while in surgery.

Keenan say some volunteers have been with the hospital for 20 years. “They enjoy meeting others, having fun and helping others,” she says. 

Wally Johnson who has worked the welcome desk for over seven years, says he began volunteering simply because “It was something to do.” 

Volunteers must be 15 years of age and older. 

For more information, call 816-943-2774 or go to www.stjosephkc.com/about-Us/Volunteers.aspx.