dicke127

I am still in the process of applying to be apart of the volunteer crew at the children’s hospital, but have hopes to be finished in the next few weeks! I am really getting excited to work with this organization because I love children and am very familiar with the feel of a hospital. My mother is a cardiac nurse specialist with Mercy/Unity Allina Hospitals and I frequently visit her work and go along with her on her rounds to patients. Although I am not looking to get into the medical field, I am excited to get a small taste of it. Volunteering or working in a hospital has been something I have wanted to do for a while now but just never had the knowledge of how or the time. I see this experience as a great way to get my into the mind set of weekly volunteering hours, which I plan on keeping in my schedule into the summer and hopefully my years to follow here at the U of M.
Although have not had any experience volunteering a hospital setting for a long period of time, specifically with children, my nerves are really not too bad. I have worked with children several times in my volunteer experiences, and one specific trip showed me how easy it is to make a connection with a child years younger and vastly different. In the summer of 2003, I traveled with my church to Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota on a mission trip. There we spent half our week painting homes of elderly living on the reservation and the other half providing a day care for kids of all ages on the reservation. It was at the day care that I met Chauncy, a 4 year old boy with an indescribable amount of energy and incredible personality. Despite the 11 year age difference Chauncy taught me more about just having fun and making your own fun under the circumstances you are given or put into. Life does not always have to be hard or so serious, and despite what ever troubles I may be concerned with this little boy taught me fun and laughs are more important.