VA Hospital Volunteers

Today's assignment: Research our local VA Healthcare System and register as a volunteer.

The TN Valley VA healthcare system has a need for a wide variety of volunteers.  Because I work more than 40 hours a week, it will be difficult for me to volunteer for some of the activities; however, I am sure that there is something useful I can do.  And, in addition to volunteers, they are in need of a wide range of patient "comfort" items, such as razors (their wish list is here) - I have a proven ability to collect these kinds of things for our military members.  I believe I can be effective here, too.

• DONE - Find local VA hospital and research their needs
• DONE - Register as a volunteer for two Saturday mornings a month
• In Progress - Begin planning for how to fund & collect items on the wish list

What to do...

I asked for practical, possible things that one woman could do.  In no particular order, these are the things that my family and friends thought important... so I'm going to try to do them.  I have been so blessed.  It's a small way of spreading the blessings around...

• Visit with vets (at the VA hospital)
• Create a school garden
• Help at a soup kitchen (probably they don't want me to cook... I'm not so good at that!)
• Tutor at the library
• Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity
• Support our military
• Buy "Made in the USA"
• Yard work for an elderly neighbor
• Calling companies to donate smoke/CO detectors for  families with newborns as they leave the hospital
• Working at a homeless shelter (the suggestion was to make lunches, but again, I probably shouldn't be cooking, so I will just leave it at working at a homeless shelter)
• Being a mental health advocate to help those who might be going down the path to violence
• Make some friends with vets at an assisted living facility
• Anything with health care