Lakewood, NJ -- In 1974, President Richard Nixon
signed an executive order establishing National Volunteer
Week as an annual celebration of volunteering. Since
then, every U.S. President has signed a proclamation promoting
National Volunteer Week.
In honor of National Volunteer Week, Kimball Medical Center
is recognizing its legion of dedicated volunteers who spend
countless hours assisting the patients, families and visitors
of Kimball Medical Center.
“This special week offers us the opportunity to thank
one of our most valuable assets — our volunteers — and
to recognize the myriad of ways they improve our hospital,” says
Joe Hicks, executive director of Kimball Medical Center. “At
Kimball, our volunteers provide tremendous support to many
of our programs and services. Our volunteers are extremely
dedicated and their responsibilities transcend the walls
of Kimball Medical Center.”
According to Donna Salin, director of the Volunteer Resource
Center at Kimball, there are 565 active volunteers who have
provided 91,000 hours of service during 2008. “Our
volunteers fulfill a broad range of services including patient
contact, clerical services, cashiering, managing and staffing
our three Thrift shops, transporting patients, reception,
as well as many other responsibilities,” she explains. “We
are very fortunate to have such a dedicated and committed
group of volunteers here at Kimball,” says Salin.
Dominick Federico, formal Emergency Department Volunteer,
had initially applied to Kimball’s volunteer program
to gain experience in the medical field in preparation for
his application to Physician Assistant programs at several
universities. During his recent interview at UMDNJ,
he drew upon his volunteer experience at Kimball. “I
felt really confident about my responses during my interview
because of all the time and knowledge I gained as a volunteer
in the Emergency Room,” explained Federico. “I
am truly grateful for all that I learned as a volunteer at
Kimball.”
Federico was subsequently accepted into the Physician’s
Assistant program at UMDNJ. He was one of 50 students
who were accepted out of approximately 2,000 applicants.
During National Volunteer Week, Kimball volunteers will
be recognized and thanked for their efforts with a week-long
reception. “This is our opportunity to say ‘Thank
you’ to our volunteers, and show them how much we
truly appreciate their efforts,” explained Salin.
For more information on volunteer opportunities at Kimball
Medical Center, please call 732-886-4523 or e-mail KMCVolunteers@sbhcs.com.
Date: April 9, 2009
CONTACT: Carrie Cristello
Director, Public Relations
732-923-6552
ccristello@sbhcs.com
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