Volunteers are an integral part of making an end of life care for patients comfortable and special. Volunteers provide support to the patients in a number of ways:
- Support for patients. This can include visiting, reading, taking walks, writing letters, bringing in music, supervising visits with pets, even massage therapy for volunteers with the necessary skills.
- Respite and support for family members. Volunteers can assist with shopping or household maintenance, or allow family caregivers the opportunity to take care of necessary errands and get some time away from the house. Family members also appreciate a visit from a compassionate friend who understands what they are going through.
- Child care assistance. This can include help with babysitting, picking up children from school or providing necessary transportation to club meetings or sporting events and practices. Volunteers have also made invaluable contributions to family pet care.
- Bereavement support programs. Hospice volunteers can work closely with the hospice’s professional bereavement staff in duties that range from assisting as a support group facilitator to serving refreshments and helping with mailings to clients and families.
- Fund-raising and administrative work. A volunteer with clerical skills can serve a hospice by helping in the office with simple administrative duties. Fundraising responsibilities can range from preparing mailings or thank you letters to organizing fundraising events and contacting possible donors.
To ensure that all volunteers are equipped for the challenge of working with the dying, CCS hospice requires that volunteers complete orientation and training sessions, as well as submit to a routine background check and a drug test. It’s important that volunteers understand the history of hospice and are aware of the specific ways Hospice works to serve the community. If you wish to become a volunteer, please call 254-445-4675 and ask for Sharon Woody, our Volunteer Coordinator.