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Volunteering in the Hospitals
(L-R: Dalton Lowman, Cayla Ollis, Elizabeth Clark, Cheyenne Morris, Ms. Gail Lane, Aaron Pittman, Margaret Kanipe, Stephen Bolick)
Broughton Hospital offers a comprehensive, service-learning program for community youth to volunteer and learn about mental health care. The program model specifically meets three core objectives; to educate students about mental illness, develop career interest in psychiatric healthcare, and provide youth with a service- learning opportunity. In addition to the core-objectives, youth engage in additional activities hosted by community partners, such as, the county health department, police and fire departments, local community college, NC National Alliance on Mental Illness, NC Cooperative Extension Service, American Red Cross, and even the NC Wildlife Resources Commission! By program’s end, youth will have served in over twenty hospital departments and learned about fifty healthcare career fields.
The success of this program is certainly realized when comments from youth participants, like Margaret Kanipe state, I want to help people with mental illness; I want to be an advocate!
Ms. Emily Moore from Lenoir County is without a doubt one of Cherry Hospital’s most dedicated volunteers. For over 30 years she has been a consistent and strong advocate for persons diagnosed with mental illness, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse problems. 
Cherry Hospital has benefited from her wisdom, commitment, and dedication. She has served on the Human Rights Committee, been an active participant in new employee orientation, been involved with “Christmas at Cherry”, and served as a faithful partner of the hospital and other agencies to gain support for the improvement of mental health care and services.
