Volunteers from the American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma Add a Special Touch to a Local Hospital

Before the arrival of volunteers from the American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma 10 years ago, patients and visitors to the Veterans Administration Hospital were left to find information on their own. Today, approximately 16 dedicated Red Cross volunteers help patients and visitors by greeting and assisting them with questions that may include directions to appointments or patients' rooms, answering phone calls and connecting callers to the room of a family member or friend who has been admitted as a patient.

Red Cross volunteers also work in a variety of other ways to address the needs of local VA hospital patients and their families. The volunteers support the hospital's annual bazaar in which money is raised for items such as televisions for patients' rooms, a golf cart to transport those who have difficulty walking from the parking lot to the hospital, wheelchairs and gifts. One volunteer gives his time to repair wheelchairs and other equipment in need of attention. A retired VA nurse and her husband volunteer at least one day a week to help with Bingo games.

The American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma is one of 12 organizations serving on the Executive Board of Veterans Administration Volunteers Services Committee. "The American Red Cross volunteers are an important part of our hospital," says Celia Pinkson, Volunteer Coordinator for the VA Hospital. "The volunteers enjoy working with the patients and know they are making a difference."