“I began volunteering at The Salvation Army Toronto Grace Health Centre in January 2018, and I am very fortunate to be a part of the Recreation Therapy program. The program promotes wellness through many different activities such as Pilates, Movement-to-Music, cooking, On-the-Move. When I first started, my main goal was simply to gain experience in the healthcare system. Little did I know how rewarding my volunteering hours would be, and how profoundly it would touch my life.
Seeing the joy in patients faces when I extend a helping hand or have a chat enlightens me about the importance of small kind gestures. I remember one particular experience during my first few weeks at the Grace when a patient came to the On-the-Move session but was not motivated, believing that s/he wouldn’t do a good job. I worked with the patient on the “hand over hand” movements, while giving encouragement and holding small conversation.
At the end of the session, the patient was amazed at the progress and thanked me for it. Experiences like this teach me the importance of building a trusting therapeutic relationship and the positive impact volunteers can have on patients through the smallest gestures.
My overall volunteer experience at Toronto Grace has been very positive and I look forward to continuing to build relationships with the patients and the amazing staff.”
Marisa Leuzzi, Recreation Therapy Volunteer