DoSomething Day: The volunteers of Royal North Shore
THE Royal North Shore Hospital have celebrated the hard work of their volunteers in honour of DoSomething Day.
North Shore
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THE Royal North Shore Hospital have celebrated the hard work of their volunteers in honour of DoSomething Day.
While it may be the doctors and the nurses who get most of the recognition, it is the hard work and generosity of the volunteers that often goes unnoticed.
On any given day hundreds of volunteers perform a number of tasks to help the daily operation of the hospital.
Chris Oberle is a feeder in neurosurgery ward 7E and has been volunteering at the hospital for almost seven years. She said she started volunteering as a way of giving back to the hospital.
“I started volunteering because I wanted to pay back to Royal North Shore because they got me through a couple of serious illnesses,” Ms Oberle said.
“We enjoy coming in and helping them and we meet such wonderful people here too, from all walks of life.”
Having been a patient herself, Ms Oberle can attest for the importance of adequate nutrition to the recovery process. She said that is why she gets so much satisfaction from the work she does.
“Patients need to eat for their recovery, especially in a ward like this because they need more nutrition to recover from brain injuries.
“Quite often they can’t open their containers or their juice and it’s good to see them eating more, because they need it to get them back on their feet.”
For meet and greet volunteers Elizabeth Schneeberger and Anne Brown, they are often the first people patients and visitors see when they walk through the door.
Ms Brown started volunteering in 2012 as a way to give back to the community and said she loves the unpredictability of the work.
“There are two sides to it, it’s something to fill in the day but also to be able to help people,” Ms Brown said.
“You never know what you’re going to do when you arrive, there are people who walk in the door totally lost and they just need some guidance and some help.”
An initiative of the DoSomething Foundation, NewsLocal and Your Local Club, DoSomething Day seeks to celebrate our volunteers and highlight those who are giving back by spreading kindness in their community.
Ms Oberle urged anyone within the community to become a volunteer at the hospital.
“I’d definitely encourage other people to volunteer here, because rather than sit at home, you come in here and see all these people who are so cheerful even though they’ve got more to worry about,” Ms Oberle said.
“It really makes you realise your blessings, we’re thrilled when we see them getting stronger.”
Anyone interested in volunteering at the Royal North Shore can call 9462 9936, or email NSLHD-volunteers@health.nsw.gov.au