≥ foundationI Give Work to My HeartThis is the motto of the volunteercentre, Lékořice, which performsits activities in two of Prague’shospitals: Thomayer Hospital, Prague4, and University Hospital, KrálovskéVinohrady.The principal mission of Lékořice,how it was established, and where itprovides its service are the topics weaddressed in our interview with KarinPospíšilová, Executive Director of thiscivic association.Whenever I start speaking aboutLékořice, I can’t help laughing becausepeople sometimes mistake our name,meaning liquorice in English, for thenames of other herbs such as cinnamon,which sound similar in Czech, or evensavoury, which is, by contrast, completelydifferent. This is funny, a sense of humankindness. It is much easier to build arapport then. And this is what our workis about: ordinary human encounters,a smile. A warm smile will bring evengreater pleasure when seen in thosesituations where it is not expected. Wework in hospitals to provide support andassistance to patients as well as theirfamilies and hospital staff.Who was behind the genesis of Lékořiceand what was the main stimulus forestablishing this volunteer centre?Most of us founding mothers weresitting and breast-feeding our babies atthis genesis. We were five friends with“family management” at our fingertips.Logically, we came up with an idea ofgetting involved in activities outside ourown homes. We had the closest ties to thechildren in Thomayer Hospital. So we gotin touch with the Head Nurse to outlineour naive plan about how we laypeoplecould work in the hospital. Perhaps wehad the necessary good will, becauseotherwise we wouldn’t have so quicklybecome the first volunteers there. Andthe hospital staff who let us into theirterritory definitely didn’t lack good willeither.How many volunteers are presentlyassociated in Lékořice and who is mostactively involved in its activities?Since established in 2005, Lékořice hasbeen active in three Prague’s hospitals– we worked in IKEM between 2008 and2010, in addition to the TH and the UHKV - and over 500 regular volunteershave participated in the activities of ourcentres ever since. These people devoteabout two hours a week of their free timefor a period of at least three months. Butit might be for several years as well - ourlongest serving volunteer, Mrs Marjánka,has been with us since 2006. But wealso cooperate with so-called one-timevolunteers, people who, despite nothaving so much time, want to help. Thisis why they come to participate „only“in particular events, according to thecurrent needs. During recent years, wehave also managed to enlist cooperationand volunteers from commercialcompanies, who - aside from beingpatrons of our projects - help to fundthem. In view of this, people of workingage gradually increase their participationin our activities.As far as the numerical representation - itis proportional to the age. We have fewerhelpers from among the older people,but on the other hand, it is fair to say thatvolunteer work is highly valued by thesepeople, who, having it firmly anchoredin their programme, are also reliable anddedicated. Young people are, on the otherhand, in the majority. They are oftenstudents who are just looking aroundat the world and thinking about lifeand which occupation they will follow.Although the middle generations are thebusiest and the most tired from buildingtheir own careers, they are, as I see it, themost interesting. These people have notforgotten to contemplate the meaning oftheir activities and to consider the valuesof society. They are ready to continuedeveloping their personality, k<strong>now</strong>ingthat no pain, no gain. Volunteer activitiesare about a „balanced economy“ - I giveonly what I have to give, and I am nottoo embarrassed to receive it, becausethe sick are, rather than being poor,admirable people who are fighting adisease, enduring pain and showingmuch greater patience than I usually doat an ordinary meeting.Where do your volunteers work andwhich hospital wards are in the greatestdemand?In Thomayer Hospital and UniversityHospital Královské Vinohrady,prospective volunteers most frequentlyask about children. In terms of seniorpatients, the situation is worse, and itis the most difficult to volunteer in thedepartments where people between20 and 60 years of age are staying.Volunteering is voluntary for bothparties: the volunteer and the patientsalike. They must both want the mutualcontact and should find it pleasingand rewarding. The coordinators are22
currently offering ten departments and employment early in 2011. What is the What should people do who are willingclinics in Thomayer Hospital and fourV závěru dubna byl v Praze 4 zkolaudován a dokončen bytový projekt české developerskéaimed toward?společnosti PASSERINVEST GROUP.This projectRezidenčníwas initiatedparkthanksBaarova,dokterýthey havevyrostlto meet?v areálu<strong>BB</strong> Centra mezi Baarovou ulicí, to two Baarovým admirable parkem mothers, whose a ulicemi U Naturally, Michelské the criteria školy are explicitly a Telčská,tvoří tři samostatné bytové domy children s celkem were staying 139 in byty. the První obyvatelé defined - over se začnou 18 years of do age svých and withnových bytů stěhovat již během Intensive měsíce Care června. Unit of the Paediatric personal integrity. As I see it, absolutelyin Královské Vinohrady. It is up to thevolunteers´ discretion to choose and it istheir creativity and the patient’s currentcondition that determines how they willspend time together. Volunteers mightpurpose of this project and whom is itto get involved in the activities of theLékořice volunteer centre? What criteriaaccompany them on walks, participatein party games or a variety of creativeactivities. Very popular are special zootherapeuticprogrammes performed bya volunteer along with his or her dog or,possibly a guinea pig or rabbit.Department of the TH on a long-termbasis, for six or seven years. They cameto see their children in hospital everyday and have never regained theiroriginal occupations. Despite, theirchildren’s handicap, insurmountablefor many people, they have beencrucial is the ability to accept the rulesand the limits of themselves and others.A short email is ideal for the firstcontact. We personally meet everyonewilling to volunteer in any form todiscover his or her skills, abilities, andavailable time … we try to give a chanceYou opened Naše kavárna (Our Café)and launched a project of shelteredstriving to be the best mothers underthe sun.to “every bit of good will”, shown bypeople.≥ Corporate VolunteerActivitiesAside from individual physical persons,entire companies can enlist as volunteerswith Lékořice to support a good cause: theimprovement of a hospital environment andits atmosphere. Well aware are also some ofthe companies based at <strong>BB</strong> <strong>Centrum</strong>. Everycompany has its own specific strategy ofcorporate responsibility which determines theform of its staff volunteer activities.Take Telefónica, for instance, which is a longstandingcorporate volunteer as this company,through its Nadace O2, has organized a varietyof more than ten events since 2008. Thanks toalmost 200 employees who have participated,the doors of the Oncology Ward in ThomayerHospital are covered with a new coat of paint,the passage to the pottery workshop and thesupporting facilities of Our Café have changedbeyond recognition, and the terraces of theChildren’s Wards of Pavilion U have brightenedup considerably.Cooperation with GE Money Bank startedwith a grant in 2009. Thanks to the excellentwork of the GE Volunteers association,participating company volunteers have justimplemented several rather exacting projects.The Children’s Psychiatry Department, whosepatrons are the bank’s top managers, is beingchanged under their hands. The volunteerscome to give a hand, not only on the dayswhich are scheduled by the company, but alsoin their free time.Last year, Hewlett-Packard also enlisted asa corporate volunteer within Lékořice. Thecompany enables its staff to devote up to fourhours monthly to volunteer activities. In otherwords, the employees are allowed completeliberty to choose a form of assistance theylike. Some of them – becoming regularvolunteers – visit patients in the wardswhereas others have decided to provideprofessional assistance (computer work, helpwith graphics, teaching English) while stillothers have come to offer manual help suchas by adding a coat of paint or decorating.≥ CONTACTKarin Pospíšilovákarin.pospisilova@ftn.czWeb: www.lekorice.com; www.ftn.cz;www.fnkv.cz23