Volunteering With Phoebe: A Work of Heart
Volunteers at Phoebe Ministries
Want to put a smile on the face of a Phoebe resident? All you need is a bit of time, and you can!
Volunteers are needed at all four of Phoebe’s campuses. You don’t need a specific set of skills or talents to volunteer at Phoebe. Residents are always in need of assistance being transported to or from activities and therapies, having a friend to talk to, or help with other day-to-day tasks at the campus.
Some volunteers use prior work experience or talents, while others help any way they can. One volunteer for over 20 years at Phoebe Allentown, Liz Philips, shares her talent of playing the piano for residents and hosting sing-a-longs. Other volunteers use talents such as administrative or computer skills to help with data entry, scheduling, and other office tasks. Emmie Davis, a volunteer with Phoebe Richland, helped with shredding papers and organizing supplies since 2010. Sadly, Davis passed away unexpectedly earlier this year.
Success Rehabilitation at Phoebe Richland
For more than 20 years, Success Rehabilitation clients have been volunteering with Phoebe Richland Health Care Center. Success Rehabilitation specializes in services for those with acquired and traumatic brain injury or other neurological impairments. While each volunteer may have their own unique challenges, they all share a passion for serving seniors. One volunteer, Steven Filipak, has been volunteering with Phoebe Richland weekly since 2009.
Filipak began by doing room-to-room visits before taking on clerical tasks, such as documenting the weekly activity attendance for residents. Soon after he took over the weekly welcome cart, which is pushed around the health care center and offers residents puzzle books, prayer shawls, books, and magazines. Shana Derstine, Vocational Specialist for Success, says that Phoebe “residents light up when they see Steven! He actually has a kind of fan club!”
Phyllisha Rex began volunteering at Phoebe through Success Rehabilitation in 2016 by assisting the activities department. She would help with resident transport, and her kindness and patience helped her develop lasting relationships. Rex continues to use her passion for helping others as a dining services employee at Phoebe Richland, where she has been thriving under her new responsibilities!
Success Rehabilitation Vocational Supervisor, Rosemary Harren, has “always appreciated both the partnership with the team at Phoebe and our shared goal of supporting Success Rehabilitation’s clients as they engage with the residents of Phoebe. The support and care that the Phoebe team shows to our Success Rehab clients as they volunteer, helps them to feel confident in their volunteer roles, grow as individuals and it is very appreciated! We look forward to continuing and growing our relationship with Phoebe for years to come.”
How You Can Volunteer
Registering to volunteer at Phoebe is easy! Simply visit https://phoebe.org/giving-volunteer/volunteering/ and select the campus where you would like to volunteer. Applications for junior volunteers and volunteers can be submitted online.