Salinas Valley Health Honors Volunteers During National Volunteer Week

Media Contact: Karina Rusk
831-759-1843

Salinas Valley Health (Salinas Valley Health) is honoring volunteers for their service and commitment to our organization and our community. A fiesta themed appreciation luncheon on Saturday includes a taco buffet and a mariachi band. Salinas Valley Health has 300 active volunteers who donated a total of 21, 879 hours last year.

“Our volunteers are part of the fabric of this hospital,” says Shannon Graham, Director of Volunteer and Health Career Services. “We are grateful for their time, dedication, professionalism, and compassion they demonstrate each and every day. Our volunteers are amazing!”

The Service League Volunteer organization was established at Salinas Valley Memorial in 1952, since then, volunteers have donated more than 3 million hours serving in numerous programs, departments and by supporting hospital events. Volunteers assist in a variety of roles including passing out visitor badges, giving hospital tours, visiting patients, and providing comfort and care to babies when family members are not at the hospital. A couple of the volunteers even have specially trained dogs to provide pet therapy.

“It is a real pleasure for me and my dog Stormy Blue to visit patients,” says Tom Bailey, a Service League Volunteer at Salinas Valley Memorial. “It’s great to see people smile, we help take their minds off their troubles. It’s an important and rewarding service.”

The volunteer appreciation luncheon will take place Saturday from 12-2pm at the Salinas Valley Health Education Center located at 611 Abbott Street in Salinas. For more information on volunteer opportunities visit svmh.com/volunteer or call 755-0772.