Barb Mohamed helps a patient play bingo during her regular volunteer shift.

As an RPN for 25 years and a volunteer for four, Barb Mohamed considers CP1 at the General campus a second home. “After I retired, I really wanted to do something,” says Barb. “I decided to come back and volunteer on the old unit and bring back some of the entertainment the patients here enjoyed years ago.”

Barb and Sally Malek, another volunteer on the unit, coordinate Bingo and trivia games for the patients every Thursday. 

“Sally is the baker—she bakes the cakes and we bring in cookies and tea for the patients to enjoy,” says Barb.

Interacting and helping the patients is what Barb enjoys—the part of her career she loved most. 

“Some of the stroke patients are here for quite a long time before they go off to rehab or elsewhere. Sometimes they need that opportunity to get out of their rooms and socialize,” she says.

Also an active member of her church, Barb joined their 55 plus committee and pastoral care group. She makes hospital visits to the ‘shut-in’ seniors who are too sick to leave their beds. She sings hymns and reads scriptures with them regularly. 

“You’d think I had enough of hospital care after all these years,” she says.  “I just love it. It gives me a good feeling to know this brightens their day.”

Barb has always had a special place in her heart for the volunteers at the hospital.  

“It was such a big help for us nurses when the volunteers would come around to fill water jugs for patients and just be there to chat with them.”

She believes volunteers are a vital part of the hospital. 

“The work the volunteers do is uplifting for everyone,” she adds. “And that’s always nice to see.”