Volunteer

Home respite volunteers visit with people in their homes to provide companionship and a rest break for caregivers. Volunteers spend 2-4 hours for each respite visit. Typically these are weekly visits are coordinated directly with the family, and may include:

• Emotional support for the person and their family
• Physical support: transferring, positioning, and helping people maneuver at home
• Light housekeeping: vacuuming, doing dishes, laundry, picking up items
• Light gardening/yard work
• Assisting with daily activities such as meal preparation, help with eating, help with hygiene (i.e. nails, hair, dressing etc.)
• Transportation to appointments or help running errands
• Shopping or picking up items
• Taking the person on a special excursion

Companionship volunteers visit people on our service who live in residential communities, such as assisted living, memory care, or adult foster homes. Volunteers generally develop a routine and visit once or twice a week for about an hour. Companionship volunteering may include:

• Emotional support for the resident and their family
• Taking residents for a walk; assisting with walking or with a wheelchair
• Companionship: reading a book aloud, looking at photo albums, playing games, talking interests and life history, listening to music, watching a movie or TV together etc.
• Holding a hand for someone who is unable to communicate verbally

 Care partners can always use an extra hand with administrative needs. Office volunteers support us by providing:

• Phone answering
• Data entry, scheduling, assembling packets and mailings
• Projects for specific staff members
• Special projects &/or event preparation

We are often invited to health fairs and community events. If you enjoy speaking to people about our mission, we could use your help throughout the year, in addition to our annual  Light Up a Life (December).

Grief volunteers will receive additional training, which may include:

• Making check-in phone calls to family members
• Making home visits to family members
• Preparing and sending mailings in our Grief and Loss program

As a vigil volunteer you will receive additional training. You will have the opportunity to be present while someone is actively dying and provide additional support to them and their family. While vigil opportunities don’t come along often, you may be asked to be available on short notice.

Your hobby or profession could be just what we need. We are always interested in:

• Pet care
• Photography
• Event coordination
• Massage
• Hair/Cosmetology
• Language skills
• Veteran/Military Experience
• Music

We value diversity and attempt to create a welcoming environment to all. Looking for a dedicated individuals have talents and abilities in one of the following professional fields:

• Finance or accounting background
• Medicine and/or health care
• Geriatrics and/or long-term care
• Grants, fundraising and development
• Donor relations
• Nonprofit alliances (shared services)
• Outreach and communications
• Home care
• Data analysis and research”