A shout out to volunteers returning!

At one minute before six Monday morning, Ann Breslin arrived at the CRMH Main Information Desk wearing her navy vest--and a surgical mask camouflaging a big grin that shone in her eyes.

Ann and Laney Mofield were the first volunteers to return since COVID-19 put the program on hold 16 months earlier. The volunteers' arrival for a three-hour shift escorting patients to appointments marked the much-welcome launch of a new normalcy for Volunteer Services. After undergoing training and other safety measures for a pandemic-era hospital, volunteers showed up wearing surgical masks and clutching paper or electronic boarding passes.  

Reminiscent of the 1970s pop song, yellow ribbons in the lobby greeted the returning volunteers, and they received yellow carnations to wear on their vests. In the Outpatient Surgery waiting room, the Guest Services team posted a large, colorful sign that read "Welcome Back To Our Volunteers!" 

The Information Desk and Outpatient Surgery volunteers are the first to return, with others returning gradually.