Cheerful and bright, 19 teens are volunteering throughout Juan F. Luis Hospital, providing patients with water or blankets or assisting at meals and performing general clerical support.
They are recognizable, clad in the familiar cheery red and white striped aprons of a Candy Striper. On Feb. 20 the students had a formal induction ceremony, completed orientation, and began serving the patients and staff at the hospital.
Pamela Sanes, director of recruitment at JFL and advisor for the students, said instituting the teen volunteer program at the hospital was the brainchild of Dr. Kendall Griffith, chief executive officer at JFL.
“ Dr. Griffith is all about volunteerism to supplement and support clinical and non-clinical staff,” Sanes said. “And we’re looking toward the future of healthcare on St. Croix, hoping to groom the students for the future and utilize their skills here.”
She added it also gives the students the opportunity to see if they enjoy and are cut out for the work.
Sanes said she noticed how much adult volunteers supported the staff.
“I saw how the volunteers really and truly helped the staff ,” Sanes said. She researched, then organized and coordinated the program at JFL. Sanes went to all of the local high schools in November and December and pitched the program.
The original program actually started as a civics class project in 1944 in New Jersey. The girls in the class made the pinafores they wore from red and white striped cotton material their teacher gave them.
She explained that only students serious in the health care profession are accepted in JFL Candy Stripers.
The participants are required to have a 3.0 GPA. They go through an interview and write a two-page essay on how the Candy Striper program fits in their career plans. There is a one-on-one interview to determine the interest of the student and what department is the best fit for them.
“Ultimately the goal at the end of their studies is for the students to bring their talents back to the Virgin Islands,” Sanes said. “This puts them ahead of the game with more marketable skills.”
She added it also shows the students how to be responsible caregivers.
The first things the students learn in orientation are the confidentiality HIPA laws and infection control. The duties they perform are determined by the department supervisor. One-hour monthly meetings are what Sanes calls the “monthly pulse check.” The Candy Stripers are working on their CPR certification.
The young volunteers are scheduled to help out three days a week from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. On weekends they may stay until 8 p.m.
The 19 students involved are in the 8th through 12th grades at St. Joseph Catholic High School, Free Will Baptist School, St. Croix Central High School and St. Croix Educational Complex.
One of those bright and cheerful Candy Stripers is Lashanette Schjang, a senior at Free Will Baptist assisting in radiology and mammography. She will head to George Washington University in the fall to begin her studies to be an oncologist.
Schjang, who definitely wants to return to St. Croix after college, said the program has impacted her a lot.
“Seeing the hospital as an insider, I see what is really needed here,” Schjang said. “I like the program a lot. I actually help out and I’m learning at the same time, doing what I love. It’s emotionally challenging and gets tough at times, but I’m really enjoying this program.”