The Power of a Song: How Smile 24/7 Lifts Patients' Spirits

The Power of a Song: How Smile 24/7 Lifts Patients' Spirits

A hospital room can feel like the loneliest place in the world. The beeping machines, the sterile walls, the endless waiting. Then the door opens, and in walks someone with a guitar. Or a violin. Or just a warm smile and a voice ready to sing. Within minutes, the room transforms. A patient who has not smiled in days starts tapping along. A worried parent closes their eyes and breathes. This is Smile 24/7 - Chesed 24/7's program of hospital singing volunteers and entertainers who bring patient emotional care to those who need it most.

What Is Smile 24/7?

Smile 24/7 is Chesed 24/7's Jewish hospital emotional support program. It sends cheer-up volunteers - singers, musicians, and entertainers - to visit patients in hospitals and at home. The program recognizes a simple truth: physical healing is only part of recovery. Emotional wellbeing matters too.

The name says it all. The goal is to bring smiles to people facing difficult medical situations. A few minutes of music or laughter can brighten an entire day. For patients enduring long hospital stays or challenging treatments, these visits become moments of light in otherwise dark times.

As the saying goes: Laughter is the best medicine. Smile 24/7 takes that wisdom to heart.

Who Are the Smile 24/7 Volunteers?

The hospital singing volunteers who power Smile 24/7 come from all walks of life. What unites them is a desire to use their talents to help others - and an understanding that sometimes the best gift is simply being present.

Musicians and Singers

Many Smile 24/7 volunteers are musicians who bring instruments to hospital rooms. Guitars, violins, keyboards - whatever can fit through a door and fill a room with sound. They play requests, lead sing-alongs, or simply perform while patients and families listen.

Entertainers and Performers

Not all cheer-up volunteers are musicians. Some are storytellers. Some do magic tricks. Some juggle or do balloon animals for pediatric patients. The common thread is the ability to distract, delight, and bring joy.

Companionship Visitors

Some volunteers simply come to visit. They sit with patients, talk, listen, and offer human connection. For elderly patients or those without nearby family, this companionship can be as healing as any song.

Why Music Matters in Healthcare

The power of music therapy volunteers is not just anecdotal - it is backed by research. Studies show that music can reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, decrease pain perception, and improve mood. For hospitalized patients, these benefits translate into real improvements in quality of life.

Emotional Relief

Hospital stays are stressful. Patients worry about their health, their families, their futures. Music provides a break from that anxiety. For a few minutes, a patient can close their eyes and simply listen - no tests, no procedures, no worries.

Connection to Normalcy

Hospital life is not normal life. Everything runs on the institution's schedule. Music brings something familiar into an unfamiliar environment. A patient hears a song they know, and suddenly they are transported back to simpler times.

Family Bonding

When a musician visits, the whole room participates. Parents sing along with their hospitalized child. A spouse holds the patient's hand during a ballad. These shared moments create positive memories during an otherwise difficult time.

Spiritual Comfort

For Jewish patients, hearing familiar niggunim or Shabbos songs can provide deep spiritual comfort. Hospital singing volunteers often know exactly which melodies will touch a patient's neshamah - bringing peace and connection to something greater.

Where Smile 24/7 Volunteers Visit

Smile 24/7's patient emotional care extends throughout Chesed 24/7's service area:

Hospitals Across NY and NJ

Volunteers visit patients at hospitals throughout the region, including facilities in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Rockland County, Orange County, and New Jersey. Wherever Chesed 24/7 operates chesed rooms, Smile 24/7 volunteers can visit.

Home Visits

The program is not limited to hospitals. Cheer-up volunteers also visit homebound individuals - elderly adults, people recovering from surgery, children with chronic illness, and anyone who could use a lift. These home visits bring the same joy that hospital visits do, right to the person's living room.

Nursing Homes and Rehab Facilities

Seniors in nursing homes and patients in rehabilitation facilities often feel isolated. Smile 24/7 brings music and companionship to these settings, brightening days for residents who may rarely receive visitors.

Stories From Smile 24/7 Visits

"My father had not spoken in days. Then a volunteer came in with a guitar and started playing songs from his childhood. By the second song, my father was humming along. By the third, there were tears in his eyes - happy tears. I will never forget that moment."

"My daughter was terrified of the hospital. She cried every time a nurse walked in. Then a Smile volunteer showed up with balloon animals and magic tricks. For the first time in a week, my little girl laughed. It changed everything."

"I volunteer because I know what it feels like to be in that bed. When I was sick, a visitor with a violin made my whole week. Now I get to do that for someone else. There is no better feeling."

How Smile 24/7 Fits Into Chesed 24/7's Mission

Chesed 24/7 believes that no one should ever feel alone. That means providing not just physical support - food, housing, transportation - but emotional support too. Smile 24/7 is the heart of that promise.

A patient might visit a Chesed Room for a snack, receive Hospital Meals at their bedside, use the Hospital Shuttle to get home, or stay at a Chesed Apartment near the hospital. But it is Smile 24/7 that reminds them they are not just a patient - they are a person, deserving of joy and connection.

Every patient. Every need. Every day. That includes the need for a smile.

How to Request a Smile 24/7 Visit

Know someone who could use a visit from hospital singing volunteers or entertainers? Requesting a Smile 24/7 visit is easy:

1. Call Chesed 24/7 at 845-354-3233

2. Provide the patient's location (hospital name and room number, or home address)

3. Share any preferences (music style, instrument, language, or type of visit)

4. Coordinate timing with the patient's schedule and hospital visiting hours

Smile 24/7 visits are free of charge. They are available throughout the week, scheduled based on volunteer availability and patient needs.

Request a Smile 24/7 visit: Call 845-354-3233.

How to Become a Smile 24/7 Volunteer

Do you have a talent for making people smile? Smile 24/7 is always looking for new cheer-up volunteers to join the team:

• Musicians and singers of all styles and skill levels
• Entertainers - magicians, storytellers, balloon artists, and more
• Companionship visitors who can simply sit and talk with patients
• Anyone with a warm presence and a desire to help

To volunteer, call 845-354-3233. The team will discuss your availability, talents, and the best way to match you with patients who will benefit most from your visits.

How You Can Support Smile 24/7

Even if you cannot volunteer yourself, you can help bring patient emotional care to those in need:

Sponsor a Visit

Donations help cover the costs of coordinating Smile 24/7 visits, including transportation for volunteers and supplies for entertainers.

Donate Instruments

Have a guitar, keyboard, or other instrument you no longer use? Consider donating it to Smile 24/7 for volunteers to use during visits.

Spread the Word

Know a musician or entertainer who might want to volunteer? Share this article with them. The more volunteers Smile 24/7 has, the more patients can receive visits.

Support Smile 24/7, Donate Now or call 845-354-3233.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Smile 24/7 program?

Smile 24/7 is Chesed 24/7's hospital singing volunteer and entertainment program. It sends musicians, singers, entertainers, and companionship visitors to patients in hospitals, at home, and in nursing facilities. The goal is to bring joy and emotional support to those facing medical challenges.

How do I request a Smile 24/7 visit for a patient?

Call Chesed 24/7 at 845-354-3233. Provide the patient's location (hospital and room number or home address), any preferences for type of entertainment or music, and help coordinate timing with the patient's schedule. Visits are free of charge.

Can Smile 24/7 visit patients at home?

Yes. Smile 24/7 volunteers visit patients not only in hospitals but also at home, in nursing homes, and in rehabilitation facilities. Home visits are especially valuable for homebound individuals who may feel isolated.

How can I volunteer with Smile 24/7?

Contact Chesed 24/7 at 845-354-3233. Volunteers include musicians, singers, entertainers (magicians, storytellers, balloon artists), and companionship visitors. No professional experience is required - just a desire to bring joy to others.

Is there a cost for Smile 24/7 visits?

No. Smile 24/7 visits are completely free for patients and families. The program is funded by donors who believe in the healing power of music and emotional support.

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