Volunteers

A VOLUNTEER is a person who is a light to others, giving witness in a mixed-up age, doing well and willingly the tasks at hand-namely, being aware of another’s needs and doing something about it.

A VOLUNTEER is a person who remembers to do the thing to make other people happy, who takes the loneliness out of the alone by talking to them, who is concerned when others are unconcerned, who has the courage to be a prophet and to say the things that have to be said for the good of all.

A VOLUNTEER is a person whose charity is fidelity, who is faithful in an unfaithful world, grateful in an ungrateful world, giving when all about are grasping, listening when others need to tell about their fears and problems.

(Taken from “The Beacon,” newsletter of Birthrite, South Africa)

In the Home

Volunteers are needed in a variety of settings! A Hospice or Palliative Care patient may reside in a private residence, skilled nursing facility, assisted living facility, or the hospital. Patients and caregivers alike are very appreciative of this service. A volunteer allows the caregiver to take a “breather”, run some errands, or go to the doctor for their own health issues. Volunteers are in high demand!

At Mercy Care, volunteers are an integral part of our care team. They provide companionship and a kind of informal support that patients and families need at this difficult time. We provide all our volunteers with an initial training and orientation. We also offer regular in-services throughout the year.

Volunteers at Mercy engage in a variety of activities, in the home or in our office:


  • Reading to patients

  • Helping out around the house

  • Providing respite care so family members can take a break

  • Running errands

  • Picking up medication

  • Assisting at community events

  • Filing, or making copies at the hospice office


At the Office

Some volunteers may prefer to work in an office setting, rather than in the patient’s home. Office volunteers help make bereavement calls to caregivers, help with bulk mailings, filing, or any other projects the staff needs an extra hand with.

Special Events

Mercy Care provides numerous programs free of charge to those in our immediate care as well as children, teens, and adults in our community who need our help. As a non-profit organization, we rely on special fundraising events to support many of our programs.

Training

Training and orientation for new volunteers is conducted weekly. In-services are performed at regular intervals so that our volunteers can keep abreast of state requirements and regulations.

To find out more about the rewards of volunteering, visit our educational website. It includes descriptions of the experience of hospice volunteers and has links to reference materials you might find useful.

If you’re interested in volunteering, or if you’d just like more information on volunteering, please contact:

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