{"id":278680,"date":"2024-09-14T20:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-14T20:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=278680"},"modified":"2024-09-14T20:46:03","modified_gmt":"2024-09-14T20:46:03","slug":"teens-trade-screens-for-service-at-north-texas-va","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=278680","title":{"rendered":"Teens trade screens for service at North Texas VA"},"content":{"rendered":"

In an era dominated by screens, the Summer Junior Volunteer Program at North Texas VA<\/a> offers a refreshing contrast to giving ideas on what one can do with free time. Run by the Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE), this highly sought after program draws high schoolers away from their phones and into meaningful service with the nation\u2019s Veterans.<\/p>\n

For years, the Summer Junior Volunteer Program has been the CDCE\u2019s flagship, offering a unique chance for young people to experience the inner workings of VA and contribute to Veteran care. Youth volunteers must dedicate at least 80 hours to service, immersing themselves in the daily life of the hospital.<\/p>\n

Christian Stephan, a 17-year-old senior at North Garland High School, jumped at the chance to serve Veterans. His great-uncle, an army medic, inspired his respect and admiration for Veterans.<\/p>\n

\u201cHelping Veterans fulfills something in my soul. It makes me feel like I\u2019m serving my country by serving them,\u201d said Stephan, pictured above, helping a patient during a painting activity.<\/p>\n

At the Bonham Community Living Center, Stephan assisted the care team with engaging Veterans through games, activities and therapies. He also gained hands-on experience with supply and inventory management, and contributed to art and fine motor skill activities that bring joy to patients.<\/p>\n

Experiences let Volunteers gain health care insights<\/h2>\n

Junior volunteers can work in many departments, from Infection Prevention and Control to Chaplain Service, The Fisher House, Critical Care, ICU, Canteen Services and Recreation Therapy. This exposure allows them to talk to medical professionals, gain health care insights and even solidify their goal of pursuing a VA career.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>
Druthi learns how ambulance gear works<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Youth volunteers learned about the crucial role of hand hygiene in infection prevention and disease control and how this expertise influences everything the hospital does, from patient care to engineering and new build projects.<\/p>\n

Druthi Muppala, a 16-year-old with dreams of becoming an orthodontist, values the stories Veterans hold. \u201cThey love to tell us their stories. It\u2019s important that we listen and engage with them, to remember their contributions and who they are as Veterans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her time volunteering at the VA hospital opened her eyes to the vast impact of the organization. \u201cVA helps so many more people than you could imagine until you\u2019ve worked a day here. It\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The heart and soul behind the Summer Junior Volunteer Program is Bobbie K. Scoggins and her dedicated CDCE team.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis program allows our hospital to show the community\u2019s youth the holistic approach we take to Veteran care. It\u2019s about more than just medical needs. It\u2019s treating their wellbeing as a whole,\u201d Scoggins said.<\/p>\n

The North Texas VA Summer Junior Volunteer Program is transformative. It\u2019s an opportunity for young people to experience the real VA, to be part of something bigger than themselves. In caring for Veterans, these teens discover the value of service, the power of connection and the rewards of making a difference. As they step away from their screens and into the lives of those who have served, they find fulfillment and inspiration.<\/p>\n

For Stephan, Muppala and countless others, this program has become a highlight of their summer, a time to grow, give back and honor our nation\u2019s heroes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In an era dominated by screens, the Summer Junior Volunteer Program at North Texas VA offers a refreshing contrast to giving ideas on what one can do with free time. Run by the Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE), this highly sought after program draws high schoolers away from their phones and into meaningful […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":278682,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,306],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-278680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-volunteers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=278680"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278680\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":278686,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278680\/revisions\/278686"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/278682"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=278680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=278680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=278680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}