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RE: BECOMING A HOSPICE HURONIA VISITING
VOLUNTEER
Hospice Huronia recruits and trains volunteers to
provide two main services - Volunteer Visiting and Bereavement Support.
Thank you for your interest in becoming a Hospice volunteer. Volunteers are
the backbone of Hospice Huronia. Through them we are able to deliver services to
people suffering from a life-threatening illness or bereaved people, free of
charge.
People suffering from a life-threatening illness are referred to our
organization by a family member, their church, other community organizations
etc. Our office then visits the family to do an assessment of their needs. We
try to match two volunteers with each client so that one can stand in for the
other. Our volunteers visit with a client/family as pre-arranged through the
office. The Hospice Huronia Visiting Volunteer usually visits in the home to
assist with the unique needs of the individual, mostly to give respite care to
the family. Our objective is for the volunteer to establish a supportive
relationship with the client and the family. Therefore we try to get involved as
early as possible in the person's illness. Although some of our volunteers visit
with a client for more than a year, people often get referred only once they
have reached the very final stages of their illness and then a volunteer may
only have the opportunity to visit for a few weeks. Each volunteer donates time
according to his/her own situation/wishes. Some visit for an hour a week, others
up to one full day a week. Usually mutually rewarding relationships develop
between our volunteers and their clients.
The kind of service delivered by Hospice Huronia requires a very special kind of
volunteer. We are looking for people who are compassionate, non-judgmental,
understanding and sensitive, able to actively listen to others and to respect
their life-choices and privacy. Being a Hospice Huronia Visiting Volunteer can
confront you with many emotional and existential issues and we find that people
coping best with this huge task are the ones who are at peace with themselves
and their own mortality. We value our volunteers and therefore try to provide as
many opportunities for support and training as possible.
The process of becoming a Hospice Huronia visiting volunteer:
. Complete and return this application form.
. Our office will then contact you for a pre-course interview.
. Police check - we will provide you with a letter with which you have to visit
your local police station to fill out a form.
. Complete the 30 hour Visiting Volunteer Training Session (October & November
or April & May)
Unfortunately this process of becoming a Visiting Hospice Volunteer can be
viewed as quite demanding, but it is necessary to protect both our potential
volunteers and our clients.
Please feel free to contact our office at 549-1034 if you have any concerns or
unanswered questions.
Carol Galbraith
Program Director
APPLICATION FORM
HOSPICE HURONIA VISITING
VOLUNTEER
Some of these questions may seem unduly
personal or private. However, this information will be helpful in
making our volunteer assignments beneficial to all. The matching of
client and volunteer is easier if we know your interests, likes and
dislikes. It will enable us to effectively meet the needs of those
seeking our service.
Your privacy is important to us. We do not
share your information with any other party. We may send you a
newsletter or information about Hospice Huronia.
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