Candy Stripers: A Journey of Hospital Volunteers in United States

Last Updated: January 1, 2024

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What's inside?

• About Candy Stripers
• History of Candy Stripers
• Evolution of Candy Stripers
• Relationship Between Candy Striper Program and Modern-Day Healthcare Volunteering
• FAQ

Candy Stripers were originally young women volunteering in hospitals, the concept that began in the 1940s. Everytime the world has suffered a major crisis whether in situations like World War I and World War II or in the Pandemic like CoronaVirus (COVID-19) . The hospital volunteers have always come forward by spreading their helping hands.

Candy Stripers made the hospitals and health post environment pleasant with their cheerful presence and kind nature to help people heal. Likewise, hospital volunteers have evolved with time with all the best practices they use to help people through their skills and knowledge.

You might not see the ladies with  red-and-white striped pinafores in the hospitals and healthpost of the USA anymore, but the enthusiasm and compassion to help others in the healthcare services is still prominent.

A lot has changed with the time, even in the hospital volunteering. From volunteering in the War Camps to the University Medical Volunteer Abroad programs, the healthcare volunteering program has evolved from a medical mission to an individual aspiration of helping people.

According to the CDC,  women aged more than 18 years in the USA were more likely to volunteer or work in a hospital, medical clinic, doctor’s office, dentist’s office, nursing home, or some other health care facility. 12.3% women said they have joined such volunteering programs.

This clearly depicts that the appearance might have changed, but the spirit of hospital and medical volunteering is still the same or even expanding and evolving in the United States of America.

About Candy Stripers

Candy Stripers, the young volunteers providing support to the hospitals and healthcare centers are the often the high school or college students offering their skills and times to help in the different facilities of hospitals.

Candy Stripers are often very friendly and compassionate in their presence providing not only cure to the disease of the patients but also alleviating mental wellbeing and maintaining happiness to the environment of entire hospital and healthcare facilities.

From the time of second world war, Candy Stripers had provided support and help to the hospitals and built a strong foundation for volunteering works in the field of medical and healthcare services.

History of Candy Stripers

The initiative of Candy Stripers initiated in 1944 in a High School of New Jersey. The uniforms were tailored by the girls themselves with the help of materials their teachers provided, it was red-white clothes, which later turned out to be the iconic costume of the Candy Stripers.

Candy Stripers initially participated in the Junior Hostesses program, which was designed to make girls to be familiar with the social service side of medical field.

With the immediate success and popularity of this program, Candy Stripers started helping ins different parts of country and became elemental to the hospitals in USA.

Candy Stripers significant role was observed during the World War II , a they actively volunteered in military hospitals to take care of the injured soldiers.

Evolution of Candy Stripers

Candy Striper program has evolved over the time as has the medical sector. With the advancement of medical practices which has now predominant use of technologies and artificial intelligence the need and participation method of volunteers have also advanced. Which has now made the appearance of medical volunteers different than that of the Candy Stripers.

As now the volunteers participating in medical field must be either a professional or a student in medical area, the program has become more like shadowing by the volunteers to the professionals in the Hospital, due to which Candy Stripers kind of program is less practiced in recent days. However, essence of humanitarian and social service approach remains the same.

Relationship Between Candy Striper Program and Modern-Day Healthcare Volunteering

Maybe the Candy Stripers may not be relevant to the modern-day volunteering work by appearance, but the spirit behind it is still relevant. The fundamentals set by this program of young volunteers participating to create a environment for happy healthcare service will always remain relevant.

Though the medical and healthcare volunteering in current generation has been more technical and specific, the historical foundation set by the Candy Striper program, the practice of patient interaction , contribution to healthcare environment and every milestones set by Candy Stripers will keep resonating the souls of every medical and healthcare related volunteers in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What kind of volunteer work can I do in a hospital?

You can do shadowing of the doctors, help the health workers in hospital, nursing volunteering and pre-med volunteer work.

How do I volunteer at my local hospital and hospitals abroad?

You can find a nearby hospital and apply for volunteering or you can search for volunteer opportunities abroad to join the hospital volunteer program.

When were candy stripers used?

Candy Stripers originated in New Jersey, in 1944 and actively operated as volunteers in hospitals in the United States during the mid-20th century.

What is another name for a candy striper?

‘Hospital Volunteer’ is another name for a candy striper.

What were the duties of a candy striper?

Some of the duties of candy stripers were to interact with patients, initiate recreational activities, help with feeding and caring patients, and sometimes help with administrative tasks as well.