Our volunteers are valued for their compassion, their willingness to provide assistance in time of need, and their many interests and talents that support all aspects of the organization. For more than 20 years, thousands of volunteers have earned Hospice Caring its reputation for outstanding service and care.

We know you have many choices when you select an organization that is worthy of your time, talents, dedication, and enthusiasm. Thank you for considering Hospice Caring!

In exchange for our volunteers' time,  Hospice Caring offers a friendly, professional team that values talents and appreciates one’s desire to serve the Montgomery County community. Our an organization holds staff and volunteers accountable for respecting diversity and differences, and we have policies for maintaining a professional working environment. We honor our volunteers each year at our volunteer appreciation event.

If you are interested in a volunteer opportunity with Hospice Caring, please contact us. Volunteers who become caregivers and facilitators are required to complete training and background checks.



Caregivers

Volunteer caregivers serve those who are on their end-of-life journey – and their families – by simply being there as a companion and listener, their most important role. In preparation for this service, volunteer caregivers complete the Volunteer Training.

Volunteers control and choose the support services they wish to provide. Hospice Caring carefully matches the needs of the patients and families with the appropriate caregiver. Some suggestions are the following, which past caregivers have provided:

·        compassionate care for a terminally ill patient

·        practical and emotional support for a patient's family and friends

·        accompany ambulatory patients on outings

·        listen to patients and their families

·        transportation for patients and families

·        shopping, delivering groceries, and running errands

·        light home repair skills for patients and families

·        child care and companionship

If you are available to act as a fill-in caregiver for others who go on vacation, we have a need for on-call caregivers.

Adult Bereavement Facilitators

Volunteers serve as facilitators for bereavement groups. Our peer-support bereavement groups offer grieving individuals an emotionally safe place where they may tell their stories, help others who are also grieving, and gently begin the healing process.  Bereavement facilitators for our adult support groups complete both the Volunteer Training and Adult Bereavement Training. After they are assigned to facilitate a group, they work in two-person teams to co-facilitate 1½-hours-long meetings. The frequency of meetings varies. Some groups meet during the day, but most meet on weeknights from 7:00 – 8:30 pm.


Good Grief Club Facilitators (Children's Bereavement)

Good Grief Clubs offer peer support in a safe environment for children in grades K-12 to discuss their feelings about the death of a loved one. Good Grief Club facilitators complete both the Volunteer Training and Good Grief Club Training. When they are assigned to a school, they co-facilitate seven weekly sessions with the school counselor. Depending on the ages of the children, sessions range from 30 to 50 minutes.



Camp Caring Volunteers (Children's Bereavement)

At our weekend-long children’s bereavement camp, known as Camp Caring, adult volunteers serve in a variety of roles. We especially need volunteers who can serve as a “Big Buddy” to a child who has recently experienced the death of a loved one. A Big Buddy provides caring support to his or her assigned Little Buddy by listening to the child discuss the loss, both in the supervised group sessions and throughout the camp events. Big Buddies attend a one-day orientation training.

Administrative & Event Volunteers

Hospice Caring’s administrative and event volunteers assist the organization in every aspect of its programs and operations, as well as support our many events and volunteer for the garden committee. Our volunteers, to whom we owe our unending gratitude, range from high school and college students to working adults and retirees. 

Administrative volunteers are asked to commit a minimum of five hours each visit. Examples of their tasks include the following:

• Assisting in the Cottage with a multitude of organizational and administrative tasks such as answering the phones, completing mailings, organizing files and working on program and event materials

• Researching and writing grants

• Participating as a speaker with the Speakers Bureau

• Marketing, publicity, and news media

• Business and creative writing

• Using and managing information technology

• Multimedia, graphic design, and photography

• Gardening at the Cottage

• “The staff at the Cottage are so nice that I love just being there.”

• “I was surprised that so many volunteers are here to use their professional expertise from their careers, not to do routine tasks.  I’ve learned a lot from them.”

•  “I’ve been challenged to figure out solutions in software that I’ve never attempted—and they worked!”

• “I took the caregiver training and ended up starting as an administrative volunteer because my particular skills were needed immediately.”

• “I’ve volunteered with national nonprofits and felt unappreciated.  But at Hospice Caring, I’m constantly told how grateful they are for my time and skills.  It’s very satisfying to volunteer here.”

• “There’s no ego, so no job is too small.”