Connecting Families Within The Community
Within the Career Development Center, Sarah Parker provides support to many people by answering questions and making sure day-to-day operations run smoothly. However, her support doesn’t end there. She also has a strong connection with her community and a desire to help others.
When she’s not working for the university, Sarah is helping her community, serving as an on-call chaplain for the Watauga Medical Center. She is part of a team, consisting of one full-time and four on-call chaplains, who are crucial to those currently in the hospital. Her and her team support patients and their loved ones, especially in times of crisis or unexpected loss or illness. Since visitors are not allowed in the hospital right now, their role has become even more vital. They’re spending as much time in patients’ rooms as possible and they've had to find different ways to connect with families. While their support is often based in spirituality, they’ve also started bringing iPads to patients, helping those who don't have technology or are unable to call their families. Sarah and her team are making it possible for these patients to see and hear from their loved ones, bringing families together even while they’re physically apart.
When you enter the hospital, the increased anxiety is definitely felt. But I feel like our role as chaplains is to help ease that anxiety and help folks feel as though they're not alone. We're trying our best to show love and light to patients while they can't have their loved ones surrounding them.