LVMC Celebrates National Healthcare Volunteer Week

The week of April 21 marks National Healthcare Volunteer Week, and LVMC is saluting its multitude of compassionate and helpful volunteers.

In 1974, then-President Richard Nixon established National Volunteer week as a way to recognize and celebrate the efforts of all volunteers.

Each April, this national observance shines a well-deserved spotlight on hospital and healthcare volunteers whose generosity and service truly embody the spirit of care.

This week, we honor our hospital and Comprehensive Care Center volunteers, dubbed “Blue Coats” for the distinctive color of their uniform smocks. We are also thankful for the contributions of our teen volunteers, as well as our Lompoc Hospital District Foundation and Lompoc Hospital Auxiliary gift shop volunteers.

These individuals are vital to our mission, providing invaluable support across departments and offering meaningful moments of human connection to those we serve.

LVMC Chief Executive Officer Yvette Cope told the volunteers during a celebratory banquet Monday night that volunteering “transforms us. It connects us. And it reminds us, every single day, of the power of kindness.”

Whether they are greeting families at the front desk, providing comfort to patients, reading to residents, assisting with activities, selling unique items in the gift shop or helping in administrative roles, each volunteer plays a part in creating a welcoming and compassionate environment.

In the medical-surgical waiting room, the Blue Coats assist patients coming in for surgery. They make sure family members are kept updated and comfortable.

At the Comprehensive Care Center, Blue Coats help with bingo games and movie night or stroll with residents in the garden.

“Each of you makes a difference in way that can’t always be measured,” Cope said. Sometimes it’s as simple as a smile at registration or the front door, a warm blanket or a kind word to a family member. But those small moments – they matter. They stay with people. They heal in ways medicine can’t.”

In 2024, Blue Coat volunteers provided 2,370 hours to Lompoc Valley Medical Center. In addition, our new teen volunteers provided almost 400 hours of service in 2024.

LVMC volunteers bring with them a wide array of life experiences, professional backgrounds, and a shared commitment to service. Many are retirees who have chosen to give back to the community, while others are working professionals who take time from their busy schedules to lend a hand. Their dedication is evident in every hallway, waiting room and patient interaction.

From helping patients navigate our hospital corridors, to supporting caregivers and families with a friendly smile or a listening ear, our adult volunteers make a profound difference every single day. At our skilled nursing facility, they engage residents through music, games, storytelling and companionship -- combating loneliness and enhancing quality of life in ways that are truly immeasurable.

We are equally proud of the vibrant and enthusiastic contributions of our teen volunteers, many of whom join us as part of our school partnerships. These inspiring young individuals bring energy, creativity and a fresh perspective to their roles, while learning invaluable lessons about healthcare careers.

The Blue Coats are not the extent of our volunteer base. Also at the hospital, we have volunteers affiliated with the Lompoc Hospital District Foundation and the Lompoc Hospital Auxiliary.

Foundation volunteers do the hard work of organizing major fundraisers such as the Flower Valley Golf Classic in May and the Colorthon in the fall as well as hosting free community education lectures throughout the year. The Foundation raised money to equip and stock the new hospital when it was built, and its members are now in the midst of an effort to help LVMC open its new Lompoc Health - Village Center.

Auxiliary members stock and staff the hospital’s gift shop and their give visitors and staff access to beautiful jewelry, household décor, office supplies, slippers, toys and more.

At Monday’s event, the Auxiliary presented Cope and Board of Directors President Leslie Kelly, RN and Board Trustee Roger McConnell with a $10,000 donation to help with the opening of the Village Center.

“You support our staff, lift up our patients and residents and create a sense of community that runs through the heart of our organization,” Cope said. “And you do it all not for recognition, not for praise, but because you care.”

This year, the California Hospital Volunteer Appreciation theme is “Celebrate Service.”

Volunteers represent the best in all of us. We thank our volunteers for being there every day, with time and compassion.