Volunteer Coordinator steps down
Ruth's letter to the bedside volunteers

As most of you know I am easing out of my duties as the Volunteer Coordinator for the Art à la Carte program. I will continue, however, with the bedside work, on a regular basis. Visiting the patients goes to the heart of the program and was the very feature that attracted me to it nearly nine years ago.

I have enjoyed every minute of leading you through the many aspects that make up the program at the Foothills: the shadow run, trips to the dusty cage, the driver’s course that is necessary to move the carts along the cluttered hallways, the sorting out of old images and bringing in of new ones, the art sales, special functions, the fielding of your many intelligent questions relating to some clinical story or concern. With your sterling personal qualities each one of you smoothed the way for me in my role, and on days when I was sagging a little you noticed, and lifted me up. I will not forget that. Nor will I forget, ever, that in the end, week after week, we made it to the bedside, to the patient, the most important of destinations, the only one that really mattered. And I was accompanied by some of the most wonderful people I have ever known or will know in my life.

As I step down I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the help you have given me in every possible way. For your gentleness, sensitivity, kindness, compassion, bravery and love. For teaching me more.