Volunteering
Bring Your Compassion to Life: Become a Hospice Volunteer!
As a hospice volunteer, your dedication and caring provide support and comfort during the end-of-life journey for people with life-limiting conditions and their families.
Our volunteers practice compassion based on the hospice philosophy of care that recognizes death as a natural part of life, emphasizing neither hastening nor prolonging the dying process.
Whether you choose to volunteer in our office, working behind the scenes, or directly engage with patients and families on a one-on-one basis, you become an essential member of our hospice team.
A free and comprehensive training program will prepare you for your role, with no prior experience in hospice care required.
Below is a glimpse of some of the possible ways you can help.
Provide a listening ear, reassurance, and a comforting presence to hospice patients and their families, both in their homes and in facilities. Whether engaging in conversations, reading, holding a hand, or simply sitting quietly, your role is to offer genuine connection.
Support families by staying with patients during scheduled intervals, offering caregivers valuable breaks from caregiving responsibilities. Assist with pet care or spend time with other family members, providing a respite that is both practical and emotionally supportive.
Lend a helping hand with practical tasks that ease the workload of family chores. This may include doing occasional laundry, meal preparation, or other household jobs. Â Grocery shopping and running errands are additional ways to help, ensuring that families can focus on what matters most. Family members also appreciate a visit from a compassionate friend who understands what they are going through.
For those seeking spiritual solace, volunteers offer a compassionate presence. They may engage in prayer, share inspirational readings, play music, or sing meaningful songs as a source of comfort.
Beyond direct patient care, volunteers are integral to the functioning of the hospice team. Assistance with office tasks, special projects, and community events is invaluable in keeping the hospice running smoothly.
We are also seeking volunteers to share their unique talents and abilities, as well as veterans. See the descriptions to the right for specific volunteer roles.
Offer the Healing Power of Music
Are you a musician with a compassionate heart? Join our hospice team and share the joy of music with patients and their families as a hospice volunteer. Music awakens fond memories and is especially helpful with dementia patients.
Massage Therapists, Reiki masters, and healers
In our hospice, we emphasize holistic care – it’s right in our name, Holistic and Palliative Care! Volunteer with our hospice and offer your holistic skills to our patients. Massage, aromatherapy, energy, and sound healing can provide relaxation, alleviate pain, and create a soothing environment for individuals and their families. Become a part of our team and contribute to the holistic care that enhances the quality of life at end of life.
Bringing Joy Through Furry Companionship
Do you have a beloved dog or other pet that loves to give affection and spread cheer? Consider volunteering with our hospice with your pet as a pet visitor. Your furry friend can bring comfort and happiness to our patients and families.
Nurturing Peace Through Mindfulness
If you practice mindfulness or meditation, consider becoming a volunteer with our hospice. Your skills can help guide individuals through calming practices, fostering a sense of peace and tranquility. By offering moments of reflection and relaxation, you contribute to the emotional and spiritual well-being of our patients and families, providing comfort during their journey.
Comrades in Compassion
Are you a veteran with a heart for service? Join our hospice team as a volunteer and lend your unique understanding to fellow veterans in our care. Your shared experiences can foster camaraderie and support for our patients with a military background. By volunteering, you become a crucial part of our mission to honor and care for those who have served.
Keeping Vigil during the last days of life
Historically, when a person was dying, the family, friends, and clergy would gather around the patient to offer their presence and support to the patient as well as to one another. In modern times, patients may not have family members nearby to keep vigil and may not be connected to a church or spiritual community. Sometimes family and friends of a dying patient feel scared or overwhelmed when caring for a dying loved one and need support as well. Some dying people are in facilities without family or friends to comfort them.
Death Doula vigil volunteers provide the support and physical presence that patients and families need during the active dying process. The needs and desires of dying patients and their loved ones differ, and volunteers offer what works best in each situation. The vigil process may include:
- Being a calm presence
- Sitting with the dying person and their family
- Talking
- Listening
- Shared silence
- Healing touch
- Reading of inspirational text or scripture
- Requested rituals and prayers
- Inspirational music
- Lighting candles