Orientation

To begin my process of volunteering at Children's Memorial Hospital, I went to a mandatory orientation session. Right from the beginning, I felt a little out of place in an environment so familiar to me. I was the youngest person there by 10 years, as I was surrounded by pre-med graduate students and elderly women looking for a volunteer opportunity. While I did not fit the "norm" of the population, I still found the session to be informative and helpful. I learned about dozens of needs the hospital catered to that I was unaware of. For example, there is a dream center where children can go play without any monitors or nurses holding them back. The patients are free to be kids during a stressful situation. 

This "dream center" serves the same purpose that I will during my volunteering. I will act as a distraction for the families during a stressful time in their lives. I am excited to interact with children and siblings who have been through similar experiences to me. While we may differ in age, as I did from many volunteers at the orientation, we will have a common bond of empathy for one another.