Hewanorra Health Volunteers

Welcome to the online home of Hewanorra Health Volunteers (HHV), your source for information about volunteering and providing support to St. Jude Hospital in Vieux Fort, St. Lucia. Whether you are considering a first-time volunteer assignment or making a repeat visit, we trust that this information -- created by and for volunters -- will provide helpful insight.

Communication is key

Timely information-sharing between the hospital and its volunteers enhances the limited time that most of us spend at St. Jude. Ongoing contact ensures that hospital staff receive the educational, clinical and other types of support that lead to improved patient care. Meanwhile, well-informed volunteers are prepared to apply their skills and knowledge in a new setting and to enjoy the well-earned feeling of making a worthwhile contribution.

At HHV, we support both these groups by making sure that ever-changing information about the island, the hospital and the Volunteer Program is available to St. Jude supporters when they're making important decisions about vacation time, charitable dollars and surplus medical equipment.

Exciting times

The next year will be an exciting time to be part of St. Jude's history. A new hospital is rising from the ashes of old buildings that were damaged in a 2009 fire. By the new year, volunteers will be sharing their skills in new facilities, designed from floor to roof to promote excellent care.

Of course healthcare can't wait. Dozens of permanent staff and volunteers continue to service St. Lucian families in St. Jude's surprisingly efficient temporary home in the national soccer stadium.

If you've been considering a volunteer experience, please don't delay. Now is the right time and St. Jude is the right place -- both for first-timers and for veteran medical volunteers.