PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

1) DIRECT SERVICE: Volunteers work directly with patients and their families

Assigned Patient
Visit long term children two to three times per week, providing age appropriate activities, when parents/relatives are unable to visit.

Bingo
With staff & other volunteers, assist in providing an interactive bingo game for children who are inpatients.

Inpatient Units
Provide appropriate one-to-one care and play activities for hospitalized children ranging from newborns to teenagers.

Computer Program
Orient children to the laptop computer, play educational and other games, access to the Internet, e-mail, enabling inpatients to communicate with family and friends.

Outpatient Clinical Assistant
Welcome, support and accompany families, assist with measurements and clerical tasks.

Emergency
Greet patients and families and act as a liaison between families and staff in the waiting area. Assist where appropriate, providing comfort and age -appropriate activities for children and siblings, such as magazines, games and coloring. Provide support to parents and families in a variety of ways.

Emily’s Backyard Play Area
A supervised, creative play service for patients and siblings of patients who are waiting for treatment or appointments.

Outpatient Oncology
Greet families of oncology out-patients and provide creative play activities in the waiting play area, for children receiving treatment.

Family & Community Resource Centre Assistant
Greet and orient families to Family & Community Resource Centre and provide empathic support for parents.

Pet Night
Assist in providing a program, which allows patients and their families to handle pets in a non threatening environment.

Playroom
In a group setting, provide creative play activities for inpatients well enough to leave their units and attend the Playroom sessions: Infant, School Age, Drop-In.

School
Assist teaching staff in providing one to one assistance to the children.

2) INDIRECT SERVICE: Volunteers provide support to the hospital's clinical program and staff

Genetics
Provide assistance to technicians in the ongoing development of research projects.

Volunteer Guide
Greet, direct and assist patients and families as they arrive at the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

3) REVENUE GENERATING: Programs that raise funds

Emily’s Window Gift Shop
Manage and implement a retail shop for patients, families and staff. Volunteers required include cashiers, buyers, display assistants, finance assistant, accountant.

4) COMMUNITY-BASED: Programs offered by community organizations

PALS
Volunteers from the Pet Access League Society (PALS) provide opportunities for hospitalized children to interact with animals through visits to the hospital.

5) COMMUNITY SUPPORT: Individuals providing items in support of hospital programs

Handmade Items
Volunteers in these programs work off site, making handcrafted items for the use of patients. Quilts and other items are made to provide bereavement support to families.

Updated: March 2011

For information about how to become a volunteer at the Alberta Children's Hospital, visit this page.