Houston Northwest Medical Center is fortunate to enjoy the many services provided by it's active volunteer programs.  The In-Service Program places volunteers directly on a nursing unit or in a department, allowing people who prefer to volunteer during the evenings or weekends the opportunity to give back to their community.  The Auxiliary consists of approximately 172 senior volunteers and 70 junior volunteers. 

Volunteers are a special group of people who perform many services throughout the hospital. They man the information desk and run the gift shop, serve as patient ambassadors, and help with patient dismissals. They also assist families in the Surgical and Heart Center waiting areas.

The Houston Northwest Medical Center Auxiliary has three main objectives: to serve the patient, to serve the community, and to provide scholarships for students interested in health care careers through money raised in the hospital gift shop.

Two of the Auxiliary's most popular patient programs are the Heart Pillow Project and the Christmas Stocking project. Since its inception, the group has given more than 500 big, heart shaped pillows to heart surgery patients. Patients hug the pillow to their chests when they cough to help control their post-surgical discomfort. Every Christmas, the Auxiliary provides a Christmas stocking for each baby born in the hospital during the holiday season.

The Auxiliary's community activities include donations to the Northwest Assistance Ministry (NAM), Cypress Creek Emergency Service and the Family Violence Center.

The scholarship program awards scholarships worth more than $100,000 annually to students who are pursuing a career in the field of health care.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at Houston Northwest Medical Center, you may call the hospital at 281-440-1000 and ask for the information desk. Volunteer applicants must fill out an application, and then go through an interview during which you will be asked to tell a little bit about yourself and why you would like to volunteer. You will also learn about what the volunteers do in this interview. If you decide to proceed, you will then visit the hospital's health nurse, and go through a hospital orientation and then a volunteer orientation before you actually start serving as a volunteer.

The Auxiliary is looking for compassionate people with free time who want to give back to the community to serve as volunteers.