Shriners, a children's hospital which specializes in orthopedic care, prosthetics and spinal cord injury rehabilitation, offers its volunteers a variety of jobs from which to choose. While Shriners invites anyone to apply to become a volunteer, there are certain restrictions. All volunteers must be a least 18 years old. And the hospital requires its volunteers serve a minimum of four hours a week for at least six months. According to Struk, who has worked with administrators and patients, the commitment is well worth the time.
People take things for granted.
You have two arms, two legs and can move around whenever you want. A lot of these children don't have that. It's very rewarding to see how these kids act and deal with their situations. Struk admits when she first began volunteering at Shriners that she was a bit uncomfortable having to work with children that couldn't physically care for themselves. But she worked on overcoming her apprehensions.