JENNIFER KELLY

As a Voluntary Service volunteer, Jennifer is a dedicated volunteer who is always on time and completes any task requested.

Jennifer has been responsible for many different tasks as a Voluntary Service volunteer, including greeting new patients and distributing comfort items, serving coffee throughout the hospital waiting rooms, coordinating other volunteers to complete mass mailings, doing data entry, sorting donations, assisting staff with setting up the clothing room and sorting and distributing clothing at the annual Chicago Area Stand Down for homeless veterans, and labeling comfort items and running odd errands. She is always willing to take on new and unusual tasks, often deciding the best way to accomplish the assignment on her own. Because of her computer expertise, she has been requested by the VIST Coordinator to update the blinded veteran database. She eagerly accepted these new responsibilities.

Because of her maturity and willingness to accept new challenges and assignments, Jennifer accepted an additional responsibility, checking medication expiration dates. She had to adhere to many quality control procedures and work with a registered pharmacist. Both the patients and the pharmacy staff benefited because prescriptions are accurately processed and promptly and safely delivered.

Jennifer is well liked and appreciated by the patients she assists, as well as, the staff she has contact with. She is a very polite, eager-to-please and friendly young lady. Every supervisor wishes they had cheerful and enthusiastic employees like Jennifer. Patients ask for her when she has to go to school and cannot volunteer. Outpatients waiting for Clinic appointments ask for the “Coffee Girl” because of her positive personality and good humor; she effortlessly draws people to her.

Jennifer instructs new volunteers on the proper procedures for performance of certain assignments and leads by example. She feels a responsibility to help veterans and her conscientiousness is contagious to other volunteers and staff as well. During the summer student volunteer program she serves as a mentor to younger volunteers. She is a role model for her two younger sisters recruiting them to volunteer also. She directs “her volunteers” on the best ways to complete specific projects. She is active in school and community activities. When interviewed by media about external accomplishments, she always mentions her volunteer activities with the veteran patients at Hines.

Jennifer is an inspiration to patients as well as other volunteers and staff because of her hard work, enthusiasm and eagerness to learn. She is a pleasure to be with and patients miss her when she returns to school. Her interest in helping veterans was ignited by her grandfather who is a Korean War veteran. He is a volunteer here along with Jennifer’s two sisters. Jennifer maneuvers through the hospital like a shot of caffeine, invigorating patients and everyone she meets.