The daily workings of a community hospital include thousands of tasks that require hundreds of people to make sure everything is running smoothly.
Not all of those people are employees. Some are volunteers who donate their time because they want to help others.
At Sycamore Shoals Hospital, several volunteers work every day to be of assistance to patients and visitors when they can.
Ruth Ritchie has been working in the hospital gift shop every Wednesday morning for many years. Like many of the volunteers, Ritchie started working at the hospital when she retired.
She sees her work in the gift shop as a ministry opportunity.
“I enjoy being able to talk to the people and be there for them,” she said. “A lot of people come in and they just want someone to talk to. Sometimes all you need to do is be a good listener.”
Alyce Birkner is another gift shop volunteer. She has been working on Tuesday mornings at the hospital for almost three years.
After Birkner retired, she started looking for something to do during the day when a friend recommended coming to volunteer at the hospital, she said.
“It gives me the opportunity to meet new people and be of service,” Birkner said. “I enjoy it. Sometimes when a door opens you never know where it will lead.”
Vickie Ford supplies a different kind of gift in the hospital. To some, she is known as the “cookie lady.”
On the days she volunteers, Ford bakes and the distributes cookies to visitors in the waiting room — and to patients when their doctors allow it.
“It brings a smile to people’s faces when they see me coming,” Ford said. “They usually say ‘Oh boy, there’s the cookie lady!’ It is a different way to bring joy into their time here at the hospital.”
People stopping at the information desk likely will encounter a volunteer behind the counter. Volunteers at the information desk give directions to places in the hospital and also work on other tasks, such as preparing magazines for the waiting areas.
On a recent Wednesday, Marilyn Taylor and Earlene Marshall were processing magazines while they waited on people who needed assistance.
Both agreed helping people was a driving force behind their decision to volunteer.
“If we can help someone during a stressful time in their life, then we have done what we are here for,” Marshall said.
A few days later, Elizabeth Okerman was manning the information desk. Okerman said she makes sure she greets each visitor with a smile as they come through the waiting area.
“I say hello, and if they look like they are worried or upset, I do what I can to bring a smile to their face,” Okerman said. “It is an opportunity to help. I think God put me here for a reason.”
SSH Human Resources Manager Sharon Sheppard said Sycamore Shoals currently has 35 active volunteers who donate their time throughout the hospital. In 2013, Sheppard said volunteers provided 7,634 hours of work to the hospital.
“They are a big help to the hospital,” Sheppard said. “With their assistance, we are better able to meet the needs of patients.”
Volunteers work at the information desk, in the gift shop, the materials management department, food service, in the nursing units and with pet therapy and crochet projects.
Sheppard said the volunteers provide clerical support for food service and nurses allowing the paid employees more time to address patient needs.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer can complete an application at http://www.msha.com/about_us/volunteer_opportunities or in person at Sycamore Shoals Hospital.