Volunteers from Cornerstone City Church in Derry, who provide support to anyone attending the Accident and Emergency Department at Altnagelvin Hospital, have been praised for the work they do.
Volunteers offer tea and coffee to people waiting in the casualty department on Friday and Saturday nights and also provide a friendly chat to help alleviate any stress people may feel while waiting.
Chris, from Cornerstone City Church said: “We know attending the Accident and Emergency Department can be a stressful experience – being in pain, worried and sometimes feeling insecure.
“People sit in the waiting room with so much going through their mind. “We provide a friendly face, offering a cup of coffee, tea or soup – for free!
“That offer can help so much in reducing the stress levels, and we can also sit down and chat for a while, just being friendly and wanting to help.
“From time to time patients ask us to pray with them which we are happy to do, more often than not they just enjoy a ‘wee’ chat.
Chris concluded: “Our volunteer teams look forward to their night serving the public in A&E, they all consider it to be a privilege to be able to help in any way.”
Altnagelvin Emergency Department Manager, Isobel McClintock and Anne Love, Volunteer Manager, both agreed that the contribution made by Cornerstone City Church volunteers was much appreciated.
“Their presence really makes an impact – reducing some of the stress and tension for people waiting and at the same time they complement the service offered by our staff.”
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