History of Sudden Needs: 

Sudden Needs was originally going to be formed as a cancer support group for St. Helen parishioners last summer. Many of our parishioners have had to battle various cancers in the last few years. As the planning progressed, it eventually evolved into what is now the Sudden Needs Ministry. As the plans progressed late last year, we were hoping that we could get 20-30 volunteers to help the needs of our parishioners in times of crisis. (We now have 156 volunteers)

 

What is Sudden Needs?

Sudden Needs ministry is a group of volunteers that want to help provide for the needs of people that are in a crisis or emergency.  Its mission statement reads "To support supportive services to help meet the emergent physical and emotional needs of those stricken with a sudden, unexpected illness or trauma within the St. Helen community and to help link the family to existing outside resources."  This may include emergency surgeries, car accidents, devastating acute illnesses,cancer, etc.  It does not include minor illnesses, planned childbirth, planned surgeries, or anything that can be prepared for.  To  accomplish its mission, Sudden Needs Ministry contains seven "needs groups" that include volunteers that can help provide services that meet that groups needs.  The seven need groups include  Meals, Transportation, Visitation, Child / Pet care, House care, Education, and the Initial Response group. 

 

What each need group does:

 

Meals group:

     -Provide meals to recipients or their family.

     -Maybe provide information on outside resources for meal delivery

          if long term is anticipated.

Transportation Group:

     -Help provide transportation to doctor appointments.

     -Help provide transportation to treatments

         ( Chemotherapy, radiation, physical therapy, grocery shopping, etc)

     -Provide transportation to mass

     -Maybe provide information on outside resources for transportation.

     -Provide a second set of ears during doctor consultations.

Visitation Group:

     -Provide emotional support for recipient and family

     -Sit with family during surgeries

     -Find other needs that need to be met

     -Bring communion to recipient (Eucharistic Ministers)

     -Maybe help with laundry, or light housecleaning during a visit

     -Maybe cook a meal during a visit.

     -relieve a caretaker for a break

Child / Pet Care group:

     -Help provide child care during appointments, treatments, hospital 

          stays, etc.

     -Help provide rest for the recipient

     -Help provide elder care if recipient is caregiver to an elder.

     -Help provide pet care if recipient is hospitalized and has pets at home

            with no one there to care for them.

House Care group:

     -Provide grass cutting

     -Provide snow removal

     -Help modify home for recipients return ( set up downstairs bedroom,

           build a wheelchair ramp, etc)

     -Secure house if house left open during an emergency

Education Group:

     -Obtain and provide reference books and information for library

     -Obtain and provide latest cancer research information updated

           monthly

     -Provide current information on various support groups in area

     -Obtain information on hospital parking passes, meal plans,

           hospital social workers, of area hospitals.

 

The operations of Sudden Needs Ministry:

When a request comes in for help, Deacon Will will triage and notify the appropriate ministry at St Helen.  If Sudden Needs Ministry is the appropriate ministry, he will notify the Coordinator.  The coordinator will then call on the Initial response leader for the initial contact. The initial response team will call or visit the recipient and explain how we can provide help to them and their family.  They will also leave an information packet that explains our services and the names and phone numbers of all our need group leaders. The initial response leader then notifies the appropriate need leaders that can provide help to the recipient.  The need group leaders then call on or E-mail the volunteers within that group for the needed help. There is no commitment on the volunteers part.  If the volunteer cannot help at that time, there is no explanation needed.  Just say no.  No commitment, no guilt. In most cases, the requests of our volunteers will be made in mass E-mails.  If the volunteer can help, then he/she responds to the E-mail.  If the volunteer cannot help, then he/she can just ignore the E-mail without guilt. 

In addition to getting requests for help, We will be actively looking for people who have a need for our ministry.  Our initial response group will be calling on people listed on the sick list and those that are announced at mass.

How about you? 

Now that you know a little more about the opportunities available to volunteer, what do you think?  Someone from Sudden Needs Ministry will be calling you sometime over the next few weeks to see if you still want to volunteer in the position that you initially expressed interest in or if you would like to change to a different needs group.  If you cannot wait for the call, but would like to call me or E-mail me back, that would be great.

Thank you so much for your interest in volunteering. 

 

May God Bless you all,

Steve Martin