Melissa Griffiths is one of the first faces you might see if you are coming to Oak Valley Health’s Markham Stouffville Hospital. As one of our valued volunteers, Melissa spends her shifts providing wayfinding assistance to patients and visitors at the hospital’s main entrance.
As a resident of Stouffville, Melissa loves that she is able to volunteer in her own community – something that has always been important to her.
“I’ve been a patient here and I have family members who have been patients here,” explains Melissa. “To give back to something that is close to home feels really good.”
Day-to-day, Melissa is a realtor, helping residents of Markham, Stouffville, and the surrounding communities sell their home or purchase a new one. In her free time, you can find Melissa whipping up a new recipe in the kitchen or booking her next travel adventure.
Melissa applied to volunteer at Oak Valley Health on a whim about a year ago and has never looked back.
“As part of a coaching program I was doing at work, I was asked to describe my ideal life, and what I wanted for my future,” says Melissa. “One of my goals was to make an impact and give back to the community. It was that day that I made the powerful decision to apply to volunteer at Oak Valley Health.”
This month we are celebrating National Volunteer Week. From April 16 to 22, we will shine the spotlight on our over 790 volunteers – like Melissa – that we rely on, day in and day out. Our volunteers are an integral part of our team working in clinical and non-clinical areas, providing clerical support, patient assistance, customer service, and more.
“I would really encourage anyone who’s thinking about it to just jump in and do it,” encourages Melissa. “It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life.”
Learn more about volunteering at Oak Valley Health, or apply to become a volunteer today.