Request the Arts Volunteer

At Duke, inpatients and their caregivers can request the arts by filling out a form online or calling the HAND office. Inpatients can choose one of seven varieties of art and craft related kits, and they are delivered within twenty four hours by a friendly volunteer or HAND staff member. Working with the kits offers an opportunity for reflection and introspection, providing both the patient and caregiver with distractions from the hospital setting.
 
Volunteers help provide these services:
 
-Assemble and deliver art kits to inpatients.
-Offer a positive distraction and an opportunity for self care during an often stressful and difficult time.
-Engage in pleasant conversation with patients while demonstrating the kit.
 
Qualifications & Skills
 
A good fit for the Request the Arts volunteer position has great interpersonal communication skills. He or she must be at least 18 years old and be interested in making crafts, assembling kits, and talking with patients about journaling.
 

Women on Bed Rest Volunteers
 
The Literary Arts coordinator of HAND oversees a weekly craft group on unit 7700 for pregnant women on bed rest. The women meet in a common area and can chat with one another while painting picture frames, making paper flowers or doing a variety of other arts based activities led by a skilled volunteer. When a patient is unable to attend the group, the volunteer works at the patient’s bedside on the craft.  HAND also offers complimentary journals, crossword puzzles, word searches, crayons, colored pencils, coloring pages, and printed literature to the women in order to make their hospital stay more enjoyable and to ward off the depression and anxiety that can set in when one is isolated from family and friends.

Volunteers help provide these services:
-Plan and facilitate art/journaling activities for a weekly group with antepartum patients.
-Work with antepartum patients at the bedside if they cannot attend a group.
-Create examples to demonstrate during the group.
-Provide journals, coloring pages, puzzles and inspiring poems or stories to leave with patients.
 
Qualifications & Skills
 
A good fit for this volunteer position has excellent interpersonal communication skills. Volunteer must have access to email for updates and scheduling purposes and be at least 18 years old. Volunteer must also have an interest in crafts and journaling. A background in facilitating groups is a plus.
 
 

Contact information: Sharon Swanson 684-5633 or 684-0401
Address: Box 3017, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710
E-mail: sharon.swanson@duke.edu

Program location: 295 Baker House
Training provided: Fire & Safety, Job specific training one on one with program coordinator.
Time commitment: Minimum of three hours per week, Monday – Friday for a year (two semesters for students)