Did you know that recent psychological research has linked happiness to volunteering? Selfless acts aimed outward, towards others, can help reduce depression and give every individual a sense of well-being as they feel accomplished and connected. Volunteering is often required of high school and college students, at least a hundred hours are needed for college applications and volunteer experience always looks good on a resume en lieu of work experience. In addition, many volunteers are court mandated as many individuals charged with petty crimes choose community service as their punishment. This may not seem like the ideal volunteer candidate but this community-based alternative sentencing proves to be both beneficial for the volunteer and the people they serve. Giving back always produces positive vibes and we at Upland Rehab & Care Center welcome all who are willing (or forced) to dedicate their time to our facility and help our residents in therapy, activities, and daily living.
Our volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds and not all are required to be here, they simply want to help. For over two years the Upland Incredible Edible Community Garden group has been coming by weekly and helping our residents work on the garden, tending to all our fruits and vegetables so that the produce we grow can be used in our kitchen. It’s truly amazing the amount of delicious veggies that come out of that garden and, when the season’s right, we have strawberries, watermelon, and pumpkins!
In addition, we have the Key Club of Los Ojos, a group of high school students that run our game night here once a week; a college art student that teaches art classes to interested residents; a volunteer club from Cal Poly Pomona that comes in to take over all CNA duties so they can dedicate that time to extra patient needs; Girl Scouts volunteer their time to do fun things like decorate wheelchairs for Christmas and sing carrols; a mentor group comes in to work on exercises and gardening with residents; a pet therapy group comes in with two very sweet dogs every Wednesday to visit with the residents and provide them with the adorable love that only a dog can give; the School of Holistic Touch sends a group of massage therapists to give free massages to residents whose tender muscles react very well to their professional touch; other volunteers come simply to visit, chat, and/or read to residents; therapy students put in volunteer hours with our therapy team to gain experience and offer extra help. The number of volunteers we have is truly a blessing and the type of work they do a real help to the facility and residents.
We procure our volunteers through a variety of sources. Our volunteer coordinators, Sarah Faucher and Mary Mason, visit volunteer expos at universities throughout the area, advertising the unique opportunity of working at a skilled nursing facility with a strong emphasis on rehabilitation. They also create profiles on websites such as Volunteer Match and Hands on the Inland Empire – organizations that pair businesses and other community-based organizations with ready volunteers. Also, CalWorks, a government program that offers aid in exchange for volunteer hours, gives people the opportunity to volunteer their time in exchange for financial aid when finding full time work proves difficult. Not to mention programs that allow individuals to pay off their traffic tickets by volunteering – creative ways to give people the opportunity to give back to society, feel good about themselves, and learn a valuable lesson.
We are very thankful for our volunteers as they allow us to do so much more than we would be capable of otherwise. Running our activities programs is challenging and the more help we have, the better. Residents can often receive one-on-one help if our volunteers are here and set-up is a breeze when you have a happy group of selfless people ready to get the job done. At Upland Rehab, we try to engage the community as much as possible, gratefully taking what others have to give and gladly giving ourselves. Here’s a big thank you to all of our volunteers for all the hard work they do!
The Upland Incredible Edible Community Garden Club
Upland Rehabilitation & Care Center 