Volunteers Make Waves at CHOICE South Restorative

This National Volunteer Week, CapitalCare is honoured to celebrate volunteers like Weam Omar, the inaugural volunteer at CHOICE South Restorative’s rehabilitation program. 

Sherri Wright, the Care Manager at CHOICE South, believes the volunteer program provides a lot of potential for student volunteers looking to expand their knowledge while contributing to the program’s rehabilitation goals for clients. 

“CHOICE South’s volunteers are happily welcomed as part of our team,” says Sherri. “Whether its recreation therapy, physiotherapy, or occupational therapy, there are lots of students entering the rehabilitation field who will be interested in learning from the CHOICE rehabilitation team.” 

Weam Omar, a student at the University of Alberta, had the opportunity to get practical, hands-on experience while volunteering at CHOICE South. She helped with group setups, supported clients during their exercises, assisted the team with a variety of tasks, like sanitizing equipment and cleaning up, and practiced person-centred engagement with CHOICE clients. 

Weam shared that her experiences at CHOICE South allowed her to learn more about the struggles older adults have in the community while connecting classroom knowledge to client experiences. 

“In one of my courses at U of A, we focused on debunking myths around the elderly," says Weam. "One myth we debunked was about physical changes and how pain isn’t considered normal as we age. I had the privilege of chatting with a client about their experiences at CHOICE South, and they said they’ve noticed great improvements in pain management after coming here.” 

After figuring out a consistent schedule and range of responsibilities, Weam established an effective routine. “I had a lot of fun volunteering here. The clients and CHOICE staff were super sweet and accommodating.” 

Having Weam as a trial volunteer crystallized Sherri’s vision that volunteers can maximize the capacity of the CHOICE South team.  

“Volunteers at CHOICE South have opportunities to support clients during their rehabilitation appointments and help with wayfinding, socializing, or even engaging clients in waiting rooms,” says Sherri. “If volunteers want to come in for an hour or two on a weekly basis to support the program, we encourage them to.” 

Weam’s contribution is yet another example of how volunteers make waves in CapitalCare’s communities. Volunteers create a vibrant community by sharing their time, energy and talent to strengthen CapitalCare’s community of care, like Weam did at CHOICE South. 

In 2024, volunteers provided over 41,000 hours toward resident and client care across CapitalCare centres. If you’re interested in volunteering at CapitalCare, visit the volunteer page to learn more. 

For more information about CHOICE South’s volunteer program, contact Sherri Wright directly at Sherri.Wright@capitalcare.net.