Interlake-Eastern Health acknowledge 368 people from around the region during National Volunteer Week, which ran April 19 to 26.
Holly Typliski is a fourth-year University of Manitoba student who volunteers once a week at Selkirk Regional Health Centre’s dialysis unit.
“I started volunteering at the front door to the hospital and that was a great way to interact with all kinds of people. It also exposed me to different departments across the hospital that I could potentially volunteer in,” she says. “No one wants to be at the hospital, so by being a friendly familiar face they see every week, I try to make them feel safe and comfortable while they are here. The best part is having conversations with patients while they are receiving treatment and hopefully making their day a little better by providing them that support.”
Holly’s experience working as a volunteer in a health-care setting is one way she is starting to prepare for a future career in health care. She is completing her Bachelor of Health Sciences in the Interdisciplinary health program with the goal of getting a master’s degree to become a physician assistant. Holly also works part time while she is in school as a research assistant at St. Boniface Research Centre.
Marline Wruck and her friend Henrietta started to volunteer by singing with the patients at the Pinawa Hospital in 2018. They took a hiatus in 2020 and recently thought about how valuable this was to not only the patients but the staff and themselves as well. So mid-January 2026 they returned, bringing music and singing to those at the hospital.
“The joy, conversations and care for one another is what brings us back to them,” Wruck says. “Many of the patients are in the hospital for a long time, and the days can get very long. I’ve heard that since COVID, many of the volunteers who once came to the hospital have not returned.”
Melody Horn lives east of Lac du Bonnet and volunteers at the personal care home running the local bingo game and helping out at family events at least once a week for almost three years.
“I try to make people smile, laugh and enjoy themselves. I also do the same and find myself enjoying it just as much. I go before the game starts to talk to residents and get them excited to play. I also enjoy helping out for special family events too. Volunteering brings me joy.”
Anyone interested in helping out with the recreation department is invited to contact regional recreation manager Lori Martin at lmartin@ierha.ca.
The palliative care program is seeking volunteers for Camp Stepping Stones, an annual grief camp for children held at Camp Arnes that runs May 29 to 31 this year. To express interest in volunteering, please contact Lorraine Schmidt, Interlake-Eastern RHA’s volunteer coordinator, at lschmidt@ierha.ca or call 1-855-494-7369.
From April 8 to June 3, the spiritual care program is running a Spirit of Caring training course every Wednesday from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. People who complete training are eligible to become spiritual health volunteers in the Interlake-Eastern health region. To express interest in this training, please contact Ferdinand Funk, regional spiritual health services coordinator, by phoning 204-461-3414 or emailingffunk@ierha.ca by April 6.
IERHA’s recreation program, palliative care program and spiritual care program are all seeking volunteers. Assistance is needed with friendly visiting, reading, offering activities and crafts, assisting with meal times, helping with transportation and more. Specific opportunities are also available in some health facilities and with community partners such seniors resource councils.
Learn more about other volunteer opportunities by visiting www.ierha.ca and clicking on About Us > Community Involvement > Volunteer-opportunities.
