What is the purpose of National Volunteer Month? National Volunteer Month recognizes the importance of volunteer work and its impact when people dedicate their skills and resources to a noble cause.

At Medworks, we have a saying that is often heard, “Make the Room Better!” That’s it, plain and simple. Truth is, that phrase is our mission statement and we apply it to every aspect of Medworks life. Yes, this applies to the OR…we always want to bring our best to the OR, making it better by the work we do and leaving it better than we found it because of that same work.

So what does “work” have to do with volunteering? Medworks encourages the giving of time, talents, and essentials, all within the confines of the “work” experience. The way we accomplish this is by offering each of our team members the opportunity to take five PTO days annually and spend that time making the community better. This has been done in a variety of ways throughout the years. Here are a few examples:

• Delivering food to homebound folks through Meals on Wheels (Feed More)
• Collecting items for members of our community who are without shelter
• Traveling to third world countries on medical missions
• Helping set up websites and photo directories for churches
• Giving rides to people who lack transportation to necessary medical appointments
• Preparing meals for inbound folks through Feed More
• Mentoring youth in the foster “age out” population
• Collecting comfort care items to be distributed among children in foster group-homes
• Assisting with organic farming tasks for food distribution
• Volunteering at a local Boys and Girls Club of America
• Educating high school students about medical sales and service as a career path

Volunteering is a rewarding endeavor. Oftentimes it’s hard to know who benefits more, the givers or the receivers! Nevertheless, it is a joy to give. By making the ROOM better, we truly make the COMMUNITY better and ultimately make the WORLD a better place. We applaud those of you who devote time to volunteering, and we encourage everyone to participate in some way. Every small effort can make a big difference!