VETERANS IN ACTION
“I get a lot of positive vibes from being able to
make people happy.”
“If it wasn’t for the student nurse loan program, I’m not sure what my career would have looked like,” she says. Four years ago, after deciding she wanted to explore volunteer work, she saw an ad on Facebook looking for non-employee Veterans willing to volunteer as a community representative and as a voice for Veterans. That’s when she knew she wanted to commit to VA Long Beach. Currently, Juliann serves on three different committees: the Veteran Appreciation Committee, the Veteran Experience Council, and the Frequent Shopper Committee. Each has its own focus, but all are committed to helping make improvements in the lives—and VA experiences—of the Veterans served at VA Long Beach. “Going into this, I had no idea what to expect. I just wanted to be a value to them,” she says. “I’m happy to be working on the committees I’m on.” Juliann says she really appreciates the people who ultimately invited her to participate in these committees. “Volunteering gives me a purpose,” she says. These committees and volunteers make an impact on the patients. Specifically, Juliann says she’s received feedback from the nursing staff that patients really enjoy what the Veteran Appreciation Committee does, such as sending cards on different holidays and going caroling over Christmas. The Veteran Experience Council looks to improve clinical and support services. They’ve had great success because of the feedback from surveys they send out to patients. For the Frequent Shopper Committee, volunteers are like secret shoppers, where they go on their VA appointments and provide feedback via a questionnaire, ultimately letting different departments know how Veterans feel they were treated and where improvements can be made. In her role, Juliann has a monthly time commitment of six to eight hours. That may sound like a lot of volunteer time, but Juliann says she gets just as much back.
— Juliann Desmond,
VA Long Beach Volunteer
Anthony Brown, co-chair of the Veteran Experience Council, meeting with Juliann, council member.
“I appreciate meeting new people and looking at what other folks are doing within the hospital system. And I get a lot of positive vibes from being able to make people happy.” VA Long Beach is grateful for the hard work Juliann puts in to help make sure our Veterans get what they need, when they need it.
If you are interested in volunteer opportunities, please contact the Center for Development & Civic Engagement at 562-826-5715.
SPRING 2023 37
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