Volunteers: The Heart of OakBend
“I think hospitals can be very frightening for people. I want people to know that there’s a real need to have a smiling face, a helping hand and a reassuring glance for people who are coming in who might be going through the worst period of their life.”
Vickie has been volunteering with the OakBend Medical Center Volunteer Program since the fall of 2011, mainly spending her time in the gift shop at our Jackson Street Campus in Richmond, Texas. The gift shop offers items such as home gifts, snacks, and get well cards for patients, visitors, and families. Monday through Friday, two to three OakBend Medical Center volunteers staff the store to assist visitors and help them shop for unique gifts.
“Customers sometimes don’t realize we’re volunteers, and when we tell them that the profit from their purchase goes straight back to the hospital, they will sometimes leave their change as a donation,” says Pat Burks, another gift shop volunteer. “They are surprised that we are so giving of our time.”
The shop is nestled next to the front desk in the Gurecky Atrium, serving as a first stop for many OakBend visitors and patients. Diane Box is one of the healthcare volunteers who serves as an ambassador at this desk, as well as an occasional courier, helping support patients, visitors, and staff throughout the hospital.
“This March will be my 23rd anniversary volunteering with OakBend Medical Center,” she says. “I enjoy the people, and I enjoy being helpful. I grew up in Richmond, so I feel it is important to give back to the Fort Bend County community through OakBend. I just enjoy being here, being around other volunteers, and especially giving a smile to people when they come in.”
The OakBend Medical Center Volunteer Program was established in 1960 when the hospital, then known as Polly Ryon Memorial Hospital, was ten years old. For more than six decades, OakBend volunteers have supported patients, visitors, and staff while helping advance the mission of the last remaining independent nonprofit hospital in the Greater Houston area.
“I’m here when patients are here,” says Dawn Basden, former volunteer president. “I’m one of the first people they see when they come in for day surgery at 6 a.m., and I get to be the person who helps relax them and pass the time.”
OakBend Medical Center volunteers serve throughout every department of the hospital, including the gift shop, laboratory, day surgery, emergency centers, and even labor and delivery. “We are here to be a bright spot, a smiling face, and lend an ear to people,” says Barbi Parmley, a courier at the Jackson Street Campus in Richmond, Texas. “We just want to help people and make them smile.”
Collectively, volunteers like Dawn, Barbi, Diane, Pat, and Vickie contribute approximately 180 hours each week and nearly 9,000 hours annually, providing valuable patient support services and assistance throughout OakBend Medical Center. Their dedication helps enhance the patient experience and supports healthcare services for communities across Fort Bend County and the surrounding areas.
“We’re not volunteering to just drink coffee, eat lunch, and chat,” says Vickie Bedo. “Doctors and nurses work so hard to cure people, and if we can help them in their efforts to make these people well, or if we can in some way help ease pain, fear, and uncertainty, then I think we’ve done our job as volunteers.”
OakBend Volunteers Donate $2,500 for PhysioStep
OakBend’s Volunteers recently donated $2,500 to purchase a PhysioStep machine for the Skilled Nursing Facility, helping support patient rehabilitation and recovery. The PhysioStep allows patients to safely improve strength, endurance, and mobility while giving therapists the ability to assist multiple patients efficiently. OakBend is grateful for the dedication and generosity of its volunteers, whose support continues to enhance patient care and strengthen our community.
Volunteer Today
If you are interested in becoming an OakBend volunteer, please visit the Volunteer page to learn more about how to get involved.
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