April is recognized as National Volunteer Appreciation Month, and this week is National Volunteer Appreciation Week. Volunteers are a big part of True Care’s service to the women who walk through our doors. They care about our patients, and they serve our patients, women just like you, with excellence.
How Do Volunteers Serve at True Care?
Kayleen came to True Care last year. She had a well-paying career and was able to do something she greatly enjoyed: travel. Being a mom was not on her radar; in fact, doctors had told her she would not be able to have children because of cancer she endured several years’ previous. Imagine her surprise when she learned she was not only pregnant, but that she was carrying twins – and was already almost 19 weeks along! She decided to continue the pregnancy and enrolled in our Baby & Me program. A volunteer named Jeanne served as her advocate during the next several months, helping Kayleen prepare for her new role as mom. She and Jeanne established a strong bond, and Jeanne was present in the hospital when Kayleen’s twins were born!
Jeanne has volunteered at True Care for more than 10 years. She serves as a Baby & Me advocate, educating first-time moms, and women who haven’t had children in many years through our Baby & Me Too program. She has also served as a test patient advocate. We are grateful to Jeanne, and all the other wonderful True Care volunteers for giving of their time for our patients!
We have many other volunteers as well. Some women are test patient advocates, meeting with the women who first come into our center. Our advocates listen and help our patients understand their pregnancy options and inform them of community resources available to them. We also have ladies who serve as follow-up specialists, making phone calls to patients who have been to True Care for their pregnancy test and ultrasound. These volunteers ask how a patient is doing, finding out if she’s had a significant change in her life (such as losing a job or her boyfriend abandoning her) and if so, what resources she might now need. These volunteers maintain that “life-line” with our patients, reminding the women they call that True Care is still available to help them, in the form of our Resource Program, our Baby & Me Program, or additional referrals we can provide.
Volunteers are Vital to True Care Helping Women Like You
We see about 300 patients every year, therefore, volunteers are vital for True Care to help women experiencing unplanned pregnancies. We appreciate every one of our volunteers, and we say a sincere THANK YOU! to them during this Volunteer Appreciation Week! Although we aren’t seeing them at the center right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we recognize the value of their service and the care they give to the women who come to True Care. We miss them and look forward to having them rejoin us in the office once we are past this international health crisis.
If you volunteer for an organization or a cause, we also salute you for the service you give, whether to a local food bank, an animal shelter, helping as a tutor, or cleaning up trails in our community. Volunteers are vital to all non-profits, and from True Care, we thank each and every one who gives of their time for a cause.
Happy National Volunteer Appreciation Week!