Community Service Spotlight: Blanchard follows sister in hospital volunteer work

Junior+Macy+Blanchard+stands+with+her+volunteer+group+at+Fairview+Ridges+Hospital.+%E2%80%9CI%E2%80%99ve+met+some+really+cool+people+%5Bvolunteering%5D%2C+which+is+very+fun+for+me%2C%E2%80%9D+Blanchard+said.

Photo submitted by Macy Blanchard

Junior Macy Blanchard stands with her volunteer group at Fairview Ridges Hospital. ““I’ve met some really cool people [volunteering], which is very fun for me,” Blanchard said.

Starting sophomore year, with the goal of completing the required service hours, junior Macy Blanchard began volunteer work at Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville.  Blanchard found that she wanted to continue her work at the hospital past the completion of her required work.

Blanchard got the idea for volunteering at a hospital from her older sister, who volunteered at the same place in high school. Although she works in a different area than her sister, she enjoys the idea of following in her footsteps. “It’s where my sister volunteered when she was in high school,” Blanchard said.

Blanchard works with a variety of different patients. One type of patient is elderly people who have received care. “There are the elderly people who get to go home again and are super talkative and sweet,” Blanchard said.

On the other side of the spectrum there are parents with their newborn babies. “There are the brand new parents who get to go home with their first baby and I love being there for that,” Blanchard said.

All of these experiences are very rewarding for Blanchard and offer a new perspective for her. “I’ve met some really cool people [volunteering], which is very fun for me,” Blanchard said.