For Jocelyn Niven, volunteering is a way of life. “It’s the way I was brought up,” she explains. “I come from an army family. My mum volunteered us for everything as far back as I remember.” Now a military veteran herself, Jocelyn is moderator of the hospital’s high school co-op program.

A cancer diagnosis is a life-changing event marked by uncertainty. Though each patient’s journey is different, volunteer Joanna Reid and The Ottawa Hospital’s Chemo Teach program give patients beginning chemotherapy an overview of what they can expect from their treatment.

Retiree Claude Bédard volunteers with The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre. After partnering with the Centre’s recreation department, Claude and a few other volunteers began hosting a coffee club, serving coffee and good conversation to patients twice a week.

If you’ve visited any hospital in the past two years, you may understand the stresses of keeping up with COVID-19 protocols. Throughout the pandemic, Anne-Marie Hartford has provided clarity to patients and their families.

Copain, a six-year-old standard poodle therapy dog regularly leans lovingly into the lap of a patient. Little does he know his “hug” produces many scientifically-backed benefits for hospital patients and staff.

The Ottawa Hospital is proud to celebrate National Volunteer Week 2021 by profiling just a few of the ways our volunteers have made a big difference during the COVID-19 pandemic.