Donate or Volunteer

The University of Chicago Medical Center has been at the forefront of medicine for decades--delivering extraordinary care to patients who come from all parts of the world. Our mission is to provide superior healthcare in a compassionate manner, ever mindful of each patient's dignity and individuality. Physicians at our Medical Center are faculty of the University of Chicago, a major research university which has produced 11 Nobel Laureates in physiology and medicine.

Philanthropy Is Integral to Our Work

Through your gifts, physicians and scientists here can continue to provide excellent care and develop the next generations of treatments and preventions for cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's, and many other illnesses. Your support can help advance the forefront of medicine.

We welcome your support.
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Donate Your Time

At the University of Chicago Medical Center, our volunteers are true stars--exceptional individuals who take the extra steps that make a difference in another person's life. They help in countless ways by making a child giggle or an older person smile. They deliver mail, books, or magazines to hospitalized patients. They comfort families who are worried about loved ones. Through deeds large and small, volunteers help patients and their families feel better during difficult times.

The following are a few examples of our volunteer program opportunities:

Patient Visitors

Volunteers are welcome visitors for patients in the adult inpatient units. Whether reading aloud, playing cards, chatting, or providing support, visits from volunteers encourage healing and ease the patient's hospital stay.

Surgery Waiting Lounge

Families waiting for news of a loved one's surgery are often anxious. Volunteers in the Surgery Waiting Lounge help soothe tattered nerves and provide other assistance to patients' families.

Children's Playroom

In our Toys "R" Us® Playroom and outpatient waiting areas, children enjoy playing games and making art creations with volunteers. Playful activities offer kids a safe and fun escape from illness, tests, and treatments. When a child is too ill to leave the hospital room, volunteers bring toys and games to the child's bedside.

Kids Count

The wait for a doctor can seem endless, especially for a child who is nervous about what's ahead. By playing with kids in the waiting room, Kids Count volunteers turn the trip to the doctor's office into a fun activity, rather than a dreaded destination. Volunteers help in the pediatric outpatient clinics at the Family Health Center (55^th Street at Cottage Grove Avenue).

Office Support

Volunteers provide office support such as typing, computer entry, and filing. Their assistance makes an invaluable contribution to the Medical Center's day-to-day activities.

Mail Delivery and Book Cart

Come rain or shine, mail gets delivered to hospitalized patients, thanks to dependable volunteers. They also deliver books and magazines to these patients.

Donate Blood

The need for blood affects us all. Nine out of every 10 people will need blood at some point in their life and a constant supply of blood is necessary for the life-saving treatments needed by many patients here at the Medical Center. Donating blood is a simple, meaningful way to help support our patients.

In order to donate blood you must be feeling well and have eaten a meal before your donation. The whole donation procedure takes under an hour, including a confidential health screening and blood collection. Juice and snacks are available after your donation, and a food court voucher or parking validation is our small way of saying thanks for your generosity.

Donating blood saves lives. Please call the donor room at (773) 702-6247 for more information or to make an appointment, or come to room 5G in the Center for Advanced Medicine for your donation. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. all other weekdays.

Forefront Stitchers

The Forefront Stitchers knit, crochet and stitch items for patients at the University of Chicago Medical Center. They make caps for cancer patients of all ages, and other patients who have hair loss caused by a medical condition. They also make prayer/healing shawls and lap blankets for cancer patients, and for women who have been admitted to the hospital with high-risk pregnancies. Additionally, the Forefront Stichers make blankets and caps for babies in the intensive care nursery.
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Join Our Team

Consider becoming a volunteer at the University of Chicago Medical Center. You must be in good health, willing to commit four hours per week, and be at least 16 years old. Volunteer candidates must complete an application and interview, and must pass health-screening tests for tuberculosis, measles, German measles, chickenpox, and illegal drugs. Download a volunteer application (PDF).

Most volunteers say that the personal fulfillment which comes from helping another person is their greatest reward. Other volunteers look forward to the new friendships and camaraderie they share with fellow volunteers. Still others enjoy learning new skills.

In appreciation of the work and time our volunteers contribute, the University of Chicago Medical Center offers benefits to volunteers, including:

• Free parking in the visitors' garage
• Eligibility to take UCMC Academy enrichment classes at reduced employee rates, including classes in computer skills and personal development
• Annual Volunteers Recognition Banquet
• Free health screenings
• Free skills training in volunteer work area

Note: Volunteers do not take the place of salaried staff at the University of Chicago Medical Center and Health System. Volunteer service is not intended in any way to lead to paid employment.

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