Volunteers provide many different services in the Sunrise Health Region, but more people are always needed to help those services run smoothly. The region recently reached out to people in order to get more people to volunteer.
Suzette Szumutku Director of Volunteer Services, says that there are many different areas where volunteers are needed in the region. While there are currently 2,200 volunteers in the region, Szumutku says there are still holes that need to be filled and jobs that need to be done.
"We've had a number of new programs put into place, and in the winter time particularly people tend to go away, so we're a little bit short."
Volunteers are needed to rock babies, transport people to medical appointments, deliver meals on wheels, welcome people to the hospital, work in the office or gift shop, transport the magazine cart or decorate the solarium for big theme decorations.
"There are a whole raft of things people can do. We try very hard to match what their skills and talents are, or what they're looking to learn."
The main motivation for volunteers is to help people, Szumutku says, but there are also ways that volunteering can help the volunteers. She notes that for people who are new to the community, volunteering can help establish connections or if they're just learning English, it will give them the opportunity to hone their language skills.
"That's something we try hard to do, to match people so they get rewards out of it."
Volunteers also get educational benefits, free coffee and free parking, she notes.
Without volunteers, many services could not exist Szumutku says, and the services volunteers provide make the experiences of people in the region significantly more positive. She notes that for some people volunteers are also essential for treatment, especially if they have appointments out of town and need a driver.
Anyone who wishes to volunteer or learn more can call Szumutku at (306)786-0468 or Donna Balog, Volunteer Coordinator at (306)786-0764.
