From Douglas Vandergraph
Fort Collins, Colorado
To the Editor:
Anyone who has accompanied a loved one to a hospital knows how long the walk from the entrance can feel. You may be carrying a folder of paperwork, trying to remember a room number, and wondering what the next conversation with a doctor will bring. Being greeted by someone who knows where to point you can make that morning a little less frightening.
The Monroe Times recently carried SSM Health’s call for volunteers at its Monroe campus. The openings include greeting patients at the clinic front desk, helping with wheelchairs and directions, assisting with nonclinical tasks in cardiac rehabilitation, and supporting the café and other services. Those jobs may not sound dramatic. To somebody arriving worried or overwhelmed, they can be deeply important.
My Christian faith makes me think of Romans 12, where followers of Jesus are told to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. We cannot make a diagnosis disappear with a friendly greeting. We can, however, refuse to leave people feeling invisible while they face it.
A hospital volunteer must understand boundaries. Goodwill cannot replace medical training, patient privacy, or the hospital’s safety procedures. That is why it matters that SSM Health requires an application, interview, background check, orientation, and other eligibility steps. Responsible service honors the patient as much as it honors the volunteer’s desire to help.
For Monroe residents who have a little time to give, this is a concrete opportunity, not simply a general appeal to be kind. The hospital’s Volunteer Services office can explain the roles and requirements at 608-324-1569. Some people may find this is a good fit; others may serve their neighbors in different ways.
I write from Fort Collins, Colorado, so I am not claiming to know the experience of anyone treated at Monroe’s hospital. But I know what it means to be vulnerable, and I believe Christ calls us to treat vulnerable people with particular care.
Sometimes love of neighbor starts with something as simple as, “Let me show you where to go.”
