April 15, 2019
New Volunteer Services program celebrates patient birthdays
By uclahealth 
UCLA Health Volunteer Services has launched a new birthday program to help brighten the day for patients who would probably prefer to be spending their birthdays somewhere else. For adult patients who consent to be recognized on their birthdays, Volunteer Services arranges for a musician or student singers to perform the Happy Birthday song. They also deliver a […]
April 12, 2019
By uclahealth
“Twenty years ago my wife had cancer and was treated here. I decided at some point I would come back and be of assistance to the patients,” says Peter Berman, a volunteer for the past four years at the UCLA Health Boyer Oncology Center. “I saw a lot of individuals come in alone to get […]
Tags: National Volunteering Week, oncology, UCLA Boyer Oncology Center, volunteer, volunteering services
April 11, 2019
Volunteering for U: 40 Years and Counting
By nickcarranza 
“Volunteering here was life-changing for me,” says Jan Garber, who volunteered at UCLA Health 40 years ago. “I volunteered when I was 17 with a brand new program, Child Activity. It was a new concept in hospitalization for children. I now volunteer in the Child Life Program. I don’t remember as many long-term patients from […]
Tags: featured, pediatrics, UCLA Health Volunteer
April 11, 2019
By uclahealth
“We have a lot of people who don’t speak English and some of the volunteers speak other languages. I can help patients and their families who speak Spanish and French,” says Pilar Mac Daniel, pictured left, a volunteer at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center’s Information Desk. Patty Kadivar, pictured right, says, “Volunteering gives us […]
Tags: National Volunteering Week, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, UCLA Volunteer, volunteering services
April 10, 2019
By uclahealth
“I knew I wanted to go into pediatrics when this little boy started to smile,” says Nareg Thomas, a Care Extender at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital. “When I first entered the room, I was a little nervous because the nurses had been trying all day to interact with the boy, but he was super introverted. […]
Tags: featured, National Volunteering Week, UCLA Care Extenders, UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, UCLA Volunteer
April 10, 2019
By uclahealth
“I’ve seen people who have been volunteering here for 10 and 12 years, and that says a lot about an organization and how it treats its volunteers,” says Sary Nguyen, an administrative intern in the volunteer office at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica. “I don’t work with patients directly, but I manage all the volunteer […]
Tags: hospital volunteer, National Volunteer Week, volunteer services
April 9, 2019
By uclahealth
“I like to see people smile,” says Margarita Espinoza, a volunteer at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. “I started making these tiny cakes for patient’s birthdays. The cakes are a candle with a little light and I think it helps the patients feel good. The first time I made one it took 20 minutes, but […]
Tags: featured, hospital volunteer, National Volunteer Week, volunteer services
April 7, 2019
By uclahealth
“If you have one good connection that lasts five minutes in a shift, it’s worth the three hours and rest of the week until you can come back again,” says Andrew Hersh, a child life volunteer at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital. Also a volunteer, Syd Hersh adds, “We volunteer on the same day. I have […]
Tags: child life, National Volunteer Week, pediatrics, UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, volunteer services
April 7, 2019
By uclahealth
“I will place small Tibetan bowls on the patient’s bed and have meditation music in the background to change the energy in the room,” says Lahila Oppenheimer, a sound healer and volunteer at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica in the No One Dies Alone program. “The sound of the Tibetan bowls brings people into a […]
Tags: featured, National Volunteer Week, Relaxation, sound therapy, UCLA Medical Center Santa Monica, volunteer services
April 7, 2019
By uclahealth
“Volunteering is something that is really rewarding and is a great experience,” says Jason Thai, a pre-med student who volunteers at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. “I volunteer in patient transport. Usually, I get a page or a call and help the patients go wherever they need. It’s important because this is a large hospital, […]
Tags: featured, hospital volunteer, National Volunteer Week, patient transport, volunteer
