So You Want to Be a Hospice Volunteer!

Un Ministerio Compasivo Sin Fines de Lucro Desde 1990

So You Want to Be a Hospice Volunteer!

agosto 10, 2010 | By: Don Gillis, Volunteer

volunteer interviewers    As we continue to care for hundreds of patients, the number of new volunteers we have constantly grows. In a coordinated effort between the Volunteer Department and the volunteer leadership, all volunteer applicants are now interviewed by volunteers rather than staff. This was decided about a year ago.
   There were three main reasons for starting this initiative. First, we wanted to be sure volunteer prospects were a good fit for the volunteer opportunities available. Second, we recognized that a volunteer who is doing what they enjoy or what fits their skill set is more likely to be happy, which affects and helps everyone at Hospice of the Comforter. Third, the volunteer interviewers are experienced and are in a great position to discuss volunteering with the candidate.
   Pictured above are our volunteer interviewers; top row: Don Gillis, Tom Ferme and Doug Dillon; bottom row: Jim Seibert, Terry Dare and Lou Johnston (absent: Jim Lewis).
Many of our volunteers have gone through this new interview process and have commented how enlightened they were after the discussion with the interviewer and that they were grateful for the opportunity to discuss reasons for volunteering and skills they possess.
   Interviewers are able to discuss with prospective volunteers how thier precious skills relate to positions here like Massage Therapy, Life Reflections, patient care, Hospice House, Robison Residence and Bereavement. We are then able to communicate their interests to the volunteer coordinators.
   We are grateful for the volunteers who have given time to get their journey off to a good start and we hope it has continued. All of these interviewers have journeys of their own at Hospice of the Comforter.