To say that I enjoy volunteering at St. Anthony Hospital would be an understatement,” said Betsy Lee, St. Anthony Hospital volunteer of seven years. “My fellow volunteers are the absolute best and the staff is incomparable.”
Betsy is a retired elementary and middle school teacher of 33 years and when she and her husband moved out to Colorado to be closer to their daughter and their grandchildren, she was looking for her purpose, for her “why.”
“As a volunteer at St Anthony’s, I once again have that great feeling of being productive that giving back brings, without taking on another job,” said Betsy.
The opportunities to give back through volunteering at St. Anthony Hospital is endless. During her time here, Betsy has worked the hospital information desk - meeting people who come in and helping them get to where they need to go and delivering cards and flowers to patients. On Wednesdays, she mans the coffee cart where she hands out coffee and tea to the hard working care teams across the hospital.
“There are also opportunities to help out the care teams who are busy treating patients,” said Betsy. “We make sure blanket warmers are filled and gloves are ready for staff. We are also there to simply offer the patients, who may not have visitors at the moment, a friendly smile.”
Being a volunteer is not one size fits all - volunteers at St. Anthony Hospital comes in all ages and from all backgrounds.
“With schoolwork and other hobbies, volunteering allows me to have a low stress commitment while still gaining invaluable experiences that have pushed me to want to continue into the field of healthcare,” said Finn Whatmore, St. Anthony Hospital volunteer.
Finn has been volunteering with us for more than one year and is a student at Colorado School of Mines studying Chemical and Biological Engineering. A Colorado native, Finn says he is always looking for ways to give back to his community! Finn volunteers in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) where he assists the PACU nurses in a wide variety of tasks, from getting supplies to answering phone calls and documenting information.
“The amount of knowledge and guidance I have received from every patient, nurse, CRNA, doctor and everyone in between has expanded my understanding of what it means to be a provider,” said Finn. “I have seen firsthand the dedication and quality of care that St. Anthony offers and will carry these experiences with me throughout my life.”
Our volunteers are the heart and soul of St. Anthony Hospital and help us ensure we deliver compassionate, healing care to our patients and communities every day. We have incredible opportunities and a wonderful volunteer team. If you are interested in learning more about the ways you can get involved, give back to the community and become a St. Anthony Hospital volunteer, visit our website and click on “volunteer” under the About section. You may also send us an email should you have any questions about the application process.
As Betsy shared, “if you are looking for a place to spend some time and feel very useful and appreciated, look no further than St. Anthony Hospital!
