It probably wouldn’t surprise you to find out that I volunteered at the local hospital when I was in high school beginning the summer of my freshman year. I rode my bike there, donned my pink and white striped apron and would sit in the lobby waiting to be summoned by someone needing a wheelchair. Sometimes I even got to carry a cooler of urine to the lab to be tested. It was a glamorous job for sure!
One part of volunteering was actually really enjoyable. I got to call the bingo numbers for the elderly folks in the Transitional Care Unit and believe it or not, I really liked it. It was definitely a silver lining and almost made up for having to carry around the results of other people’s bowel movements.
My best friend also volunteered at the hospital and one day we decided we were going to do something special for our feeble friends.
We rode our bikes to the general store down the street and bought sugar-free penny candy (I’m sure we ordered some milkshakes while we were there- I always got chocolate).
Then we headed down to the back of my neighborhood where there were still empty lots and picked weeds wildflowers.
At my house, we handwrote notes and put them into plastic sandwich baggies with the candy and wildflowers. Once our well wishes were complete, we headed to the hospital where we donned our aprons and went from room to room in the unit distributing good cheer.
What sweet girls we were!
Quite proud of ourselves we headed to her house where we probably had more milkshakes and debriefed. Her dad, the doctor, overheard and applauded us for our efforts but told us not to do it again. Apparently, most of the people aren’t allowed even sugar-free candy and could potentially have had bad reactions to both the candy and the nature we brought into their rooms.
Whoops… at least we had good intentions!
I linked up for Theme Thursday and Throwback Thursday:
By the way, we know we were complete nerds, but we had fun and were doing a good deed. That’s all that matters, right?
Hi, I'm Kate. I'm fairly new to this whole blogging thing, but loving it already. Please reach out with any questions!
Another Clean Slate 
LOL…I volunteered at our local hospital too but got assigned the long-term care unit which was like a nursing home we had a huge list of things we couldn’t bring in because of those same dangerous interactions!
Oops. Well it’s the good intention that counted! And I bet you made those sick people happy anyway.
I volunteered at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center when I was in graduate school. I worked with kids (and their parents) who had disabilities of the central nervous system. It was a great experience. I think yours was a very sweet gesture.
that really is amazing – I love the hand-written notes!
That’s adorable. But what harm could sugar-free candy do?
I volunteered at the hospital too, my favorite was wheeling people out to their families to head home. That was a really sweet gesture and I bet the patrons were happy 🙂
I volunteered at an animal shelter and snuck the dogs extra treats all the time. That’s the same thing-right? 🙂
Totally the same thing!
How sweet and as my grandfather used to say, “The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions!!” Lol 🙂
Awww, y’all were SO SWEET!! Love that you called bingo…that is adorable! :)-The Dose Girls
They were just so glad to have company!
Did they call them candy stripers when you did that? That’s so cool that you volunteered your time. These days, I think that volunteering for stuff isn’t even on many teenagers’ radar.
You had really good intentions! That was sweet of you!
Well I applaud your actions! I worked at a nursing home for 2 years. I know ANYTHING we did brightened their day!
So sweet, but loving the idea of you tastefully arranging weeds and wildflowers to create bouquets!
Kate x
Kate at Home
We did what we could 🙂
I take great pride in being a nerd, but I don’t think that doing nice things for people makes you a nerd. I mean who in their right mind would say, “Oh, you took a big chunk of time out of your day to do something nice for someone that you don’t even know? Well, that’s totally lame!” Despite the fact that they couldn’t eat the candy, I bet those patients were thrilled!
Well, shit. At least you tried.
OH no!!! haha i was reading this thinking oh how sweet! of course, they cna’t have it.
A few years ago, we made Christmas ornaments with the kids at church, then we brought the kids to distribute them and sing carols at a local nursing home. Our pastor had talked to the nursing home first and they said the area that needed the most cheer was the dementia ward. When we got there, the nurses had to review the ornaments, and they ended up taking half the beads, etc. off. The kids were a little surprised that they had to hand out ornaments with dried glue splotches, but we explained that they were a choking hazard. It worked out fine, because the recipients loved receiving them anyway 🙂
It’s the thought that counts, right?
Very good intentions! My mother was a bingo player in her old age. She was like a hunter on safari trying to bag the ‘BINGO’! That was very kind of you.
Ohhh sometimes I have an urge to play Bingo. I don’t think I ever have!
You know what the road to hell is paved with, right? Kidding! I think it was great that you and your friend did more than just put your time in.
Hi Kate,
Well I didn’t volunteer at the hospital when I was in high school but I worked there as a nurses aide during my junior year because I only went to school half a day. As a nurses aide they give you all the shitty jobs. The head of nursing was a mean woman. After school was out I ended up working there through the summer too and then quit. I pulled some double shifts then and at one time I was so tired whne I got home that I slept for 18 hours straight.
Sunni
http://sunni-survivinglife.blogspot.com/
Absolutely…. your intentions were well meaning and you were quite young… nice post!
I am sure that they appreciated your efforts. A little kindness goes a long ways, doesn’t it? You and your friend sound like you were pretty wonderful to me!
I think it’s awesome that you wrote them notes and everything – I bet that was the highlight of their month!
I love this. You are so beyond sweet and thats one of the reasons I love you!!! (not in the creepy way or anything!) Its the thought that counts. I’m sure they all were so grateful to have you guys there with them. I think Ive mentioned my mom is a nurse. i love being able to go visit her patients. Its such a rewarding experience and they are all so loveable and sweet.
So something I would do!!! Haha
That is very sweet. When I’m in a retirement home, I hope someone bring me “wild flowers” and non-sugar free candy. Is someone taking down my order?
That’s totally all that matters! What a sweet story. Thanks for sharing the memories.
P.S. I so would have volunteered just to wear the pink and white stripes!
I still think it’s a sweet story!
That was so sweet of you girls.. I’m sure your feeble friends would have blessed your souls for sparing a thought for them 🙂
http://ursilence.blogspot.in/
I hope so!
That was adorable. I have to agree with Jenn. What’s the harm in sugar free candies?
Isn’t that always the way? Good intentions gone bad. But kudos to you for thinking of others first.
p.s. I love bingo!