While many teens will sell clothes or flip burgers this summer, 277 of their peers will experience how a hospital works as volunteers at Grady Memorial.
This large group of teenagers sporting red shirts, khakis and ID badges are all part of the Grady Health System Summer Teen Volunteer Program. And this year, Grady has generated the largest number of participants in the program to date.
Brooke Eldridge, manager of volunteer services and community affairs at the hospital, attributes this increase in teen volunteers to the state's current economic whirlwinds.
"The city used to have camps for these kids that have been cut due to a lack of funding," she said. "A lot of the kids told me they didn't have those camps to go to this summer."
The volunteer program is a nine-week experience aimed at providing teens with an outlet through which they can give back to the community. The teens can volunteer in a particular unit of the hospital for up to 20 hours a week. They answer phones, retrieve mail and assist employees in various capacities.
But Eldridge emphasizes that the teens receive much more than just volunteer hours.
"There is also a learning aspect to it," she explained. "They are learning about different health care fields, and that there is more to a hospital than just doctors and nurses."
And the teens seem to concur. Seth Bruce, 17, of Snellville, a volunteer in the critical care unit, says he already has learned a lot within the first few weeks.
"I didn't think I wanted to go to medical school," Bruce explained. "I didn't think all the years of school were going to be worth it. But just being here, I have realized it is something I would like to do."
To take part in the volunteer program, teens from throughout metro Atlanta had to go through an application process. When sifting through applicants, Grady looks for students who are from ages 14 to 17, work hard in school and display good conduct.
Even though the application process includes recommendation letters, shot records, paperwork and a face-to-face interview, some teens say it was well worth the work. At 15, Nnenya Hailey of Atlanta says the benefits she receives outweigh the tedious process she had to endure.
"You just have to be patient," said Hailey, a volunteer in the medical surgery unit. "If you really want to do it, then you will go through everything because it is really worth it."
Deon Orme, a 16-year-old from Jonesboro, volunteers in the radiology and imaging services unit. He said he encourages other teens to apply for the program, but he warns — expect the unexpected.
From traumas and emergency room visits to shuffling through papers or simply brightening someone's day with a smile, Grady offers teen volunteers their fair share of surprises, career options and valuable knowledge throughout their summer break.
"It's just a good experience, just being at a hospital in itself," Orme said. "If someone wanted to apply, I would tell them to go ahead and do it, but have an open mind. Expect to see everything when you come here."
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