Discovering The Mature Lifestyle Thimble Bees is a church group that does knitting, sewing and handiwork and donates it all to outreach programs. Page 3
Senior Involvement
July 21, 2016
July Issue
Edina hospital volunteer interacts with patients, visitors BY SUE WEBBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
When Grace Shen retired in 2010 from a 30-year career as a computer programmer, she decided to become a volunteer. Fairview-Southdale Hospital in Edina seemed like a logical place to do that work. “I live a few blocks from the hospital,” Shen said. “A neighbor told me about volunteering there.” For the last six years, Shen has worked at the Hospitality Desk, a total of 2,000 volunteer hours so far. She works from 8 a.m. to noon every Thursday and Friday. Her job is to give patient room numbers and locations to visitors, and answer questions about how to get to specific locations in the hospital. She also assists people who are in wheelchairs. “The value of volunteering is being able to interact with patients and visitors,” Shen said. “They are very appreciative; many of them say thank you. It’s rewarding to know you can help them.” Getting to know the other volunteers is another plus, she said. One of the most memorable moments she’s had on the job occurred when a person approached her desk and said he was in pain. “And then he collapsed to the floor, writhing in pain,” Shen said. “As volunteers, we’re not allowed to touch anyone. But the Emergency Room was not too far away, and we were able to get him into a chair and get him there.” In addition to volunteering at the hospital, Shen also helped register voters at
outdated. I was laid off every four or five years. You have to keep in contact with employment agencies to become aware of what technology is marketable. You have to be a go-getter.” Her parents, immigrants from China, were concerned about her future and feared that Shen would have to resort to welfare. “I assured them I would be getting unemployment,” she said. “I always got a job within a few months. I had a track record of being able to find a job. They got used to me being laid off.” When she’s not working, Shen and her brother walk every level at the Mall of American each weekend. “I’ve done the Race for the Cure several times,” she said.
Grace Shen of Edina has volunteered at the Hospitality Desk at Fairview-Southdale Hospital for the last six years. (Submitted photo)
her precinct caucus. She said she also helped out at the 2016 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Bloomington Ice Garden. “For hospitality, I assisted in preparing the room for the judges and checking credentials of judges,” she said. “For security, I checked credentials of skaters and coaches.” A native of St. Louis, Shen lived much
of her life in New Jersey before coming to Minnesota with her father in 2007. She and her brother cared for their father, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, until he died in 2010. Though she remained steadily employed for 30 years in the computer world, Shen said, “It’s not a career recommended for stability. Computers are changing all the time because the technology gets
About the volunteer program at Fairview-Southdale Ashley McArdle, volunteer coordinator at Fairview Health Services, said about 400 volunteers are in the program throughout the year, “ranging from as young as 14 to 93 years old.” She estimated that 49 percent of the volunteers are over 65 years of age. “There are a variety of reasons someone is motivated and interested to volunteer,” McArdle said. “We have recent retirees looking to give back and stay connected to their community, we have people who want to change careers, and we have high school and college students who are interested in the medical field and want exposure to hospital operations. We ask people to visit our webpage (fairview.org/HospiHOSPITAL - TO PAGE 3