Volunteer Opportunities

If you have a caring heart and a few hours a week to share with those who need you most, you could be a VNA Volunteer.

Click here for Volunteer Application:

VNA Volunteers give of their time to care for the non-medical needs of both Hospice and home health care patients. We also have volunteers who help with clerical work, fund raisers and special events that bring delight and joy into the lives of our patients.

VNA Hospice Volunteers participate in a 20-hour training program which prepares them to be important sources of caring and comfort. They are educated about hospice philosophy, attitudes on death and dying, physical needs and care of a person at the end of life, grief, bereavement and the role of the volunteer in hospice care.

Volunteers communicate with members of the VNA Hospice team regularly. They advocate for their patients and families and offer unique perspectives and insights, enabling us to provide better services to our patients, families and caregivers.

Each volunteer receives ongoing education and in-service training which keeps him/her informed and knowledgeable about the most recent advances in hospice care.

Volunteer Services may include:

• Emotional Support and companionship for patient and family members through phone calls and personal visits

• Respite Care relief for caregivers for short periods of time to allow caregivers the opportunity to tend to personal business or much-needed recreation

• Assistance to Patients with Practical Tasks that may include running errands, shopping for essentials, getting a simple meal ready or even light housekeeping

• Building Relationships; spending quality time with patients and family members in conversation, reading, prayer or similar activities which enhance quality of life

• Bereavement; some volunteers have special gifts in the area of bereavement and grief support to make visits, phone calls and send cards to those who are grieving

• Support Groups; along with the VNA bereavement counselor, volunteers help facilitate grief education and support groups which are provided to VNA families and the community at large free of charge.

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Volunteer training consists of 20 hours of classroom education held at the VNA or at another designated site. Hands-on education in the field is also provided. Classes are held several times each year, and every effort is made to accommodate those who need daytime, evening or weekend classes. The curriculum includes topics such as concepts of death, dying and grief, communication skills, the spiritual dynamics of death and dying, understanding the bereavement process, managing pain at the end of life, providing compassion and concern and many others.

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Wings of Hope, Memorial Butterfly Release, a summer program held on the first Sunday in August at a local park. The names of the deceased are read and a non-denominational ceremony is held to honor each person’s life and their special gift to us all. Butterflies are released as a reminder of the beauty and hope of each life. Attendance is free and open to the public. Click here if you’d like to release a butterfly in honor of a loved one. VNA Annual Memorial Service, held each fall as a special time to celebrate the lives of those we are grieving. VNA staff and families participate in this moving ceremony of remembrance among candlelight, song and scripture. Grief and the Holidays, a panel presentation offered to the community free of charge. The goal is to help those who are grieving deal with the stress of “getting through the holidays.”

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“A Hospice Volunteer is a source of peace, hope, understanding and concern. We share the precious time that remains in the final days of a person who is embarking on the threshold of a beautiful new life.” -Ruth Plutino, VNA Volunteer

“I believe the end of life is just as important as the beginning. What a privilege it is to share this time with our patients and their loved ones.” -VNA Volunteer

“Volunteering is very important. It’s so good to be able to help others. When we help others we also receive and we get back even more than we give! It’s very gratifying for me to be part of this wonderful hospice work.” – Aldene Olson

“Meeting new people as they prepare for their personal journey back to Holiness has been interesting, educational and life-giving for me. Each person is so very different. I learn so much and feel overwhelmed in the interactions. They bring to me a deeper awareness of our loving God and the journey I will make in the days to come.” – Norma Jean Kingsley, OSB

VNA Volunteers are helping hands in times of needs. “Click here to download the Volunteer Application or APPLY ONLINE”

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