From the Central Valley to Crescent City, thousands of women and men choose every day to give their time to their neighbors, friends, and family who need hospital care.
They are hospital volunteers — people who support the gift shops, help visitors find their way to loved ones, and so much more. For the dozens of struggling hospitals in northern and central California, volunteers are not only a symbol of the special role hospitals play in their communities, but they also provide critical, real-time support that would be impossible without them.
Now, during National Volunteer Week, all of our hospital families have an opportunity to stop and thank those who give selflessly so that others — those facing frightening, life-altering moments — feel protected and supported.
Our hospital volunteers — along with the staff members who support them — give of themselves because they believe in the very same things that hospitals believe in. They believe in people looking out for one another. They believe that everyone deserves a chance to live a healthier, more fulfilling life. They believe that when people face their darkest times, there should be light to show them the way out.
At hospitals, that light never goes out. Whether it’s midnight on New Year’s Eve, or 6 a.m. on Christmas morning, if you need them, hospitals will be there for you. That’s the promise of a hospital — a promise of healing, hope, and humanity — and it’s one that can only be delivered with the help of volunteers.
From all of us here at Hospital Council to all of California’s hospital volunteers: Thank you for all you do. Caring for all Californians in all ways would not be possible without your support.