Several volunteer groups across the Upper Cumberland are playing a growing role in maintaining and enhancing the outdoor spaces at Cookeville Regional Medical Center.
CRMC Foundation Executive Director John Bell said a wide range of organizations, from businesses to student groups, volunteer and help with basic maintenance, like painting curbs, and with more involved projects such as maintaining gardens across the hospital campus. Bell said the gardens around campus are not only for visual appeal but also to comfort patients and their families during difficult times.
“We’ve had several mention how much they appreciate seeing those flowers outside the entryway because they are unable to keep up with their own gardens at their own house while they are going through treatment,” Bell said. “It’s just not something they got the energy to do.”
Bell said CRMC has a butterfly garden outside the cancer center, a women’s center garden, and a larger memorial pathway garden facing Tennessee Tech’s campus. Bell said the volunteer groups are a huge asset to the hospital.
“It’s a very large campus, and our facilities and plant facilities groups are often pulled away from those kinds of things for specific equipment needs and repairs within the hospital,” Bell said. “So, sometimes it’s difficult for them to make the time to get out and do those beautification efforts.”
Bell said the real driver for volunteers to help out is because it serves as a way to connect the community with the hospital. However, Bell said the foundation needs more volunteers to help out with beautification efforts.
“We absolutely do,” Bell said. “Our preference would be for groups to help us, you know, a couple times a year if they can do it, or we have some that have already signed up to do quarterly things. But we try to bring in at least one group every month, sometimes two. This time of year, we love two because, you know, things are blooming and growing, and there’s a lot of weeding to do, and there’s just a lot to clean up and keep going as we move into the spring months. So there’s a lot of maintenance to be done, and it just takes hands.”
Bell said a group of 15-20 volunteers can complete some of the needed work in just a few hours. Bell said those who are interested in helping out can contact the CRMC Foundation for further information.