Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jun 12/98) - The younger set is extending a helping hand to patients and staff at Stanton Regional Hospital.

Yellowknife's Youth Volunteer Corp group and Stanton Regional Hospital have teamed up to establish Helping Hands.

"It's basically candy-striping but the youth don't like that name," said Melissa Hazenberg, program co-ordinator with the Youth Volunteer Corps.

The youths began their training on Monday at an orientation session at the hospital.

When the program gets up and running later this month the youths have several ideas they would like to pursue. They will begin by setting up a book library and magazine rack.

Helping Hands will be given carts to take books, magazines and other sundries to patients at the hospital.

Some Helping Hands volunteers will also do volunteer work at Stanton's paediatrics unit and spend time with the children.

Hazenberg said the Youth Corps is planning to set up a day care to look after children of adults visiting patients.

The volunteer experience will also give participants knowledge of how the hospital works and perhaps open their eyes to a future career in the medical field.

Stanton Regional Hospital Officials are excited about the program.

"I'm responsible for the volunteers here at the hospital and I just think we need more activity and more youth present within the hospital," said Linda McDonald, volunteer co-ordinator at Stanton.

Young people will be responsible for showing up for work on time. They will also be expected to follow strict rules of confidentiality.

McDonald said she hopes Helping Hands will be as much a learning experience for the youth as it is a giving experience.

Once in full force, Storefront for Voluntary Agencies will do all the recruiting and will continue to look for participants between the ages of 14 and 18.

Right now, the 14 youth interested in Helping Hands will be expected to share four workdays a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6 to 8 p.m and Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m.

They will be given a uniform each, a vest with helping hand prints on the back, and name tags to indicate to staff and patients who they are.