San Volunteers honoured during National Volunteer Week
Sydney Adventist Hospital (the San) celebrated National Volunteer Week from 15-21 May, acknowledging more than 300 volunteers who make a difference to the hospital through their volunteering efforts.
Volunteers contribute in many ways throughout various wards and departments. They help visitors find their way around the hospital, they help sort stock, they help with admin/filing, they volunteer in the hospital gift shop, chat to patients, and make cuppas in the Day Infusion Centre, Renal Dialysis Unit and Cardiac Cath Lab. Our Volunteers also help our Cancer Centre with driving, cancer group facilitating and the wig library. Our Spiritual Care Volunteers help with beautiful connections with patients on our wards.
“More than 20,000 volunteer hours have been given in the past calendar year alone,” said Patrina McLean, Manager Help Team Volunteers. “Since volunteers started in 1973, they have contributed more than 1,749,501 hours to the San.”
This year 22 volunteers were awarded for significant years of service ranging from 10 years to 25 years of volunteering. “Our oldest and most inspiring volunteer, John Bulley, is 95 years of age,” said Patrina. “He volunteers every week, and our staff and patients look forward to seeing him. Our youngest volunteer, Victoria, is 24 and she is very dedicated. She travels a long way, driving past dozens of other hospitals because she says the San has the best volunteer program.”
One volunteer was acknowledged for 7,000 hours of volunteering in 10 years. John Luschwitz worked in real estate his whole career, but after his wife passed away at the San, he began to volunteer at the hospital. “They were very kind to us when we were travelling that journey, and it is a real honour and a privilege to be working with some beautiful people, and to help support patients and their families during their hospital stay,” said Mr Luschwitz.
His first volunteer role was helping out in the San Snax Café. “I did a lot of washing up,” he said with a laugh. “I struggled to make my own sandwiches let alone make them for someone else, but I was very good at doing the dishes.”
It wasn’t long before Mr Luschwitz found his true calling on Level 6, the oncology and palliative care ward, where he does most of his volunteering. He talks with patients and their families, and considers it a special honour to spend time with patients nearing the end of life who have no family nearby to visit them. As a long-serving Justice of the Peace, he also helps people with documents. He is often seen carrying trays of hot drinks from the cafeteria as a caring gesture for staff.
“The San is so blessed to have such generous people who contribute their time,” said Patrina. “There will always be something else to do with our time, there will always be somewhere else we can be, but our San volunteers choose to be at the San. Volunteers give of their time because they have a heart, and a caring heart always finds kindness and happiness to share.”
About San volunteers
The San has a long history of very supportive ex-patients, ex-staff, and local community members who regularly volunteer at the hospital. In addition to the very practical help they give throughout the hospital, they’re also a great source of comfort and companionship to patients, and an encouragement to staff.
Fifty years ago, in 1973, volunteers were more formally organised as the ‘Pink Ladies’ – it was predominantly women who volunteered at that time. As men began to volunteer, the uniform changed in the year 2000 to the distinguished and cheery yellow shirts we see around the hospital today.
To each of our many thousands of volunteers at the San over the years, we express our deep gratitude for your invaluable contribution. We hope your time as a volunteer has enriched your life as much as it has enhanced the experience of patients, their families and staff at the hospital.
