Selflessly serving others as a Candy Striper has led one local young woman to learn more about herself.

"This programme helps young people to get a more different perspective on life and their place in it,'' said 1998 Candy Striper of the year Davida Morris.

"From this view we are able to grow into truly great people.'' Davida began her service when she was 14 years old -- but for slightly less than noble reasons.

"I originally joined because it was what my sister was doing,'' she admitted.

"But I stayed with the programme because I liked it.'' "Candy striping is extremely good for young people because during this time in a young person's life we can become very self orientated,'' she added.

Now 18, Davida is a student of the Bermuda College and hopes to pursue a career in Clinical Psychology.

She will soon come to the end of her voluntary tour of duty, but said she had come a long way from her beginning.

"I think for me the only ward that was slightly difficult was the Extended Care Unit where you have older people,'' she said.

As a young person she had had little interaction with those who were generations ahead of her.

But working in the ECU openned her eyes and made her realise aging was simply a part of life.

"Now it doesn't really bother me...it was a reality check,'' she said.

Candy stripers work on alternating Saturdays, and donate time during Easter, winter, and summer vacations.

Davida said she has given some 300 hours performing such duties as helping patients fill out menu cards, assisting nurses, or working in the pharmacy or gift shop of the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

But she pointed out that some of the other 90-strong young volunteers had logged in even more hours.

"It has been a very important part of my life and very dear to me,'' she said.

"Through this programme I have met very special people and made some very dear friends.

"The best part of the Candy Striper programme is definitely the people. Many people say that Candy Stripers are good people because they volunteer, but if you sit down and talk to them you'll find out just how great they are.'' Potential male and female Candy Stripers are recruited and interviewed in the spring to begin work in July or August.

Interested young people 14 years of age and older should contact Sue Veale, the Candy Striper Supervisor at The Hospital's Auxiliary of Bermuda at 236-2488 or 236-2345.

Davida encouraged any young person to join the Candy Striper ranks.

"Always be open to new experiences. It's a very good experience...there's so much you can learn,'' she said.

And she went on to note the Bible message found in the book of Corinthians.

"There is love, faith and charity and the greatest of these is charity,'' she said.

"That's very true.''