VA Volunteers Give More Than Time

By Meredith McCulloch

Alma Hart, proud Army mom and Joe Dooley, Chief of Voluntary Service, review the monthly calendar of activities for hospital residents.

There are many people to admire at the Bedford Veterans Administration hospital. First of all the men and women who were willing to put their lives on the line to defend our country, and now the nearly 700 regular volunteers who give their time to support our hospitalized veterans. Not all the veterans were in combat situations, of course, but they were all trained and ready to do whatever the country called upon them to do.Veterans from World War II to the present conflicts in the Middle East make the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veteran Hospital the home base for their care. The hospital has 200 beds in-house plus 100 more beds in an Alzheimer’s unit.

The VA volunteers say thank you to the veterans by donating their time. Their contributions may be regular one-on-one interaction with a single veteran, filling a specific need on a regular basis, or supporting large events for the whole patient community. Volunteers may greet visitors at the reception desk, drive patients to appointments within the hospital grounds or serve coffee along with a friendly chat.  Some may wish to “adopt a vet” and come on a weekly basis to visit with one patient. Chapel escorts help patients go to Sunday services at the chapel. A hospice volunteer may respond to a call to stay with a dying man to hold his hand, bringing comfort in his last moments.
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Volunteers with special skills may assist VA staff in the offices, help veterans access their own medical records on a computer, or serve as greenhouse volunteers, helping to build a garden that is accessible for residents who find joy in growing plants.

Some volunteers prefer to work on one of the many special events held throughout the year. An annual highlight is the September Vettes to Vets program when close to 400 Corvettes amass at the hospital. Veterans who are able, come out to admire the cars and chat with their owners. Thousand of dollars and donations of goods are raised. This year the event will be on September 30. The caravan of Corvettes will leave a Billerica hotel at 11:45 to process to the hospital.

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Special events for groups of veterans are sponsored each year by veteran’s groups, churches, or civic organization such as the Elks or Women’s Community Club. A February highlight is Valentines for Vets, a national-wide celebration for hospitalized veterans, featuring all the elements of Valentines Day—sweets, balloons, and of course Valentine cards, many written by school children.

The total number and scope of volunteer efforts at Bedford’s Veterans Hospital is remarkable. Overseeing the program is Joseph Dooley, Chief of Voluntary Services at the hospital, who grew up in Bedford, but never expected to work at the hospital. One of his special recollections is the day in 2010 when he escorted a group of veterans ages 82–95, each of whom had fought in the Pacific Theater,to Washington, D.C., to see the newly dedicated World War II Memorial. All were moved to see the memorial and to share their memories.

Potential volunteers may go to the website www.bedford.va.gov/giving to review volunteer opportunities and read the volunteer handbook. Alternatively, they may call the Voluntary Service office at 781-687-3074. All volunteers are given training and support to help them make the most of their experience.

In 2011, 518 volunteers gave over 73,000 hours of volunteer time. The total dollar value of gifts to the Bedford VA including volunteer time, monetary donations and gifts of needed items is over $625,000. The amount is high, but fails to reflect the immeasurable value of taking the time to care and to say “thank you.”

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