Meet this week’s campus celebrity Rui Han Liu, a third year student majoring in Anatomy and Cell Biology. Rui Han Liu is the president of the club I*Create, which offers wonderful volunteering opportunities in hospitals all over Montreal. Even though it may seem like it’s only life sciences students which are interested in these opportunities, I*Create allows volunteers to do arts and crafts with patients, a fun activity regardless of what you’re studying. Scroll down to find out more about the unique opportunities I*Create presents!
Nisan Kavak for Her Campus McGill (HC McGill): First of all, what is I*Create?
Rui Han Liu (RHL): I*Create is a club that organizes volunteer programs at various hospitals in the Montreal area: Montreal General Hospital, Shriners Hospital, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal Chest Institute, and Montreal Neurological hospital. Our club is unique in that our volunteers focus on engaging patients in arts and crafts activities on top of conversation during their rehabilitation process. You would be amazed at how a bracelet or a holiday card can brighten someone’s day!
HC McGill: How did you get involved with the club?
RHL: I became involved with I*Create during my first year at McGill when I found this gem during Fall Activities Night. I was a volunteer with I*Create at Montreal General Hospital for a year before joining the exec team.
HC McGill: How can others get involved?
RHL: We always welcome more volunteers although our volunteer program only formally recruits during the beginning of the Fall and Winter semester. You can find us at Activities Night, on Facebook, on our blog. For more specific inquiries about becoming a volunteer, please send us an email at icreateclub@gmail.com.
HC McGill: Can you tell us more about the volunteering? Are there any specific requirements?
RHL: Because we realize volunteering in a hospital setting alone may be intimidating for some people, our volunteers are paired up so that there are two people per shift. Once accepted to our volunteer program, each volunteer will be assigned a shift, which is typically a commitment of 2 hours a week. We have shifts for every day of the week ranging from mornings to the late afternoon, so there are plenty of opportunities to get involved! In order to volunteer at our collaborating hospitals, new volunteers would have to fill out an application form, pass through a group interview and orientations. For MGH, a police background check is also required. Bilingualism and proof of immunization is only mandatory for volunteering at Shriners. However, because volunteer policies are subject to change, there may be more requirements depending on the volunteer cycle.
HC McGill: Tell us more about your volunteering experience.
RHL: I remember I was alone for my very first volunteer shift because my partner could not make it. It was quite intimidating and overwhelming, being in such a busy and seemingly impersonal environment. No one seemed to notice you. Needless to say, I wasn’t feeling particularly comfortable as I rode the elevator up to my designated floor. However, the experience became truly rewarding when I realized a lot of patients were equally as uncomfortable as me, spending day after day in a hospital. Many of them were more than willing to talk about their life story, to hear about mine, and to engage in crafts as a fun distraction from their daily routine. I remember there was even a lady who ran down the hall in her hospital gown to chase me because she had seen me push my crafts cart by her room and had wanted me to make a bracelet for her. At the end of the day, the enriching part about volunteering is that on top of knowing that you helped make someone else’s day a little brighter, they also helped make your day that much better.
HC McGill: Are there any events or fundraises that you would want the readers to know?
RHL: At the end of every school year, our club donates all revenues we make throughout the year to our associated hospitals. Our club revenues come from membership fees (a one-time $10 fee), samosa sales on campus, and bake sales at the Montreal General Hospital. We also hold a semester-ly club social (essentially a big party with pizza, homemade dessert, board games) to show our appreciation for the volunteers.
Images provided by interviewee.