Candy-Striper Organization

A candy striper was traditionally a young, female hospital volunteer; a concept that originated in the 1940s. The unique job title represented the candy cane look of the red and white-striped pinafores worn by the volunteers. Traditionally, the girls sewed their own pinafores. East Orange General Hospital in New Jersey claims to have started the first candy striper program in 1944.

During the 1950s and 60s, the popularity of candy stripers was widespread. In general, the goal of a candy striper was to make a patient's stay in the hospital more pleasant. Initially, a candy striper simply delivered mail or patient meals, but as nurses became overburdened, the volunteers took on additional duties. Now, a candy striper might help feed, or read to, a patient; assist as a patient is discharged; or deliver messages. Other duties include transporting book or video carts to patient rooms.

Much has changed in candy striping over the years. In the early years, the training to be a candy striper lasted months, but now most hospitals train the volunteers in a few days. Currently there are male candy stripers; although most hospitals have a higher percentage of young female volunteers than males. "Volunteer" is the more likely term used to refer to a candy striper nowadays, and the uniform is not likely the red and white jumper of years past.

Most hospitals accept volunteers aged 13-18 for candy striping. Hospital volunteers perform a variety of duties, which may include staffing reception areas and gift shops; filing documents; or transporting medical records, lab specimens, and drugs from unit to unit. A candy striper might also assist with cleaning duties in a hospital. In some instances, volunteers