At the Hospital
by Heather Albanese

I work at the hospital on Mondays and Fridays. When I started there I was getting paid for it. That lasted for six months. Now I go and do not get paid for it. I like it a lot. The people there are so nice to me I read the paper to them. They know I am going to school to upgrade my reading.

These people have given me more than I give them. They take me for what I am. We take them out on bus trips and tomorrow we will be doing a tea for them, and I will work out in the garden with them tomorrow before the tea.

Background Information

Volunteering is a healthy thing to do. It helps the people you help, it helps the community in general and it helps you. Talk about why volunteering is so important and how it can help a person feel good about themselves.

Questions

1. How long was Heather paid to work at the hospital?

3. Why do you think Heather likes going to the hospital?

4. What does upgrade mean?

5. What have the people given to Heather?

6. What kind of trips do the people take?

7. What else does Heather do for the people she helps?

8. What does the word tea mean in this story?