Volunteers step in for Weeks of Caring

During Aurora Health Care’s Weeks of Caring campaign, VIP Services, Inc. clients, (seated, from the left), Travis Pederson, Kelly Findlay, Stephen Weisbrod and Martin Ingram, play Bingo Sept. 25 with volunteers (not in order) Marquette Baylor, Erica Ward, Dawn Greeson, Dawn Hixton and Denise Dobersztyn. Amy Rademaker (not pictured) also volunteered at VIP. (Heather Ruenz photo)

The final Weeks of Caring of 2017 focused on helping the communities served by Aurora Health Care, with more than 600 volunteers stepping in to help in a variety of capacities the last week in September.

In this area, volunteers spent time doing activities with clients at VIP Services, Inc. on Sept. 25, and helped out with two projects for Open Arms Free Clinic – sorting food at an area warehouse on Sept. 27, and helping beautify the grounds outside the clinic on Sept. 29.

Caregivers volunteering through Weeks of Caring effort helped local organizations with a variety of projects, from shopping with food pantry clients and helping children with homework to sorting clothing donations and serving meals. Opportunities were also available for caregivers to spruce up organizations’ buildings and grounds.

The Aurora Weeks of Caring program is an organized volunteer opportunity for caregivers offered four times each year. The effort builds on Aurora Health Care’s longstanding tradition of community service. In 2016, caregivers contributed more than 1,200 hours to local organizations through Weeks of Caring in its inaugural year.

“Aurora Weeks of Caring is just over a year old, and we are thrilled with how it has grown from a grassroots perspective,” Vivian King, Aurora’s vice president of community relations, said.

“The more our caregivers volunteer the more they come up with ways to give back to the communities where they live and work,” King added.

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