Published on February 05, 2012
Asante Hospice Needs Volunteers to Provide a Caring Touch
Are you looking for a rewarding volunteer opportunity? The Asante Hospice team needs new hospice volunteers to give companionship to patients and respite for their families. Asante Hospice will sponsor a free training course for volunteers beginning in March 2012.
"Volunteers often feel honored to be present during someone’s end-of-life journey," says Sally Melton director of volunteers. "In this shared experience they discover a lot about their own life as well."
Because it is such a profound experience, volunteers receive free training to prepare them.
The Asante Hospice volunteer class will meet every Saturday from March 10 through April 7 and will be from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Asante Hospice office at 1550 NW 6th Street in Grants Pass, Oregon.
Melton says volunteers serve in many ways. They provide companionship, run errands, do light housekeeping, office and clerical work, and provide music and pet therapy. "But primarily volunteers are listeners," Melton says. "A hospice volunteer is friendly, supportive, engaging, flexible, and loves people."
Kay Wood is a volunteer in Grants Pass. "While working with a hospice patient, I have learned that no matter what stage we are in life, it is important to feel cared for, loved, respected, valued, and appreciated," she says.
Wood became a volunteer when she retired from teaching. "I was too tired, too stressed, too busy, too involved with work and family to do any kind of volunteer work," she recalls. "After adjusting to this wonderful freedom that retirement brings, it was time to volunteer." She chose Asante Hospice after reading a short article in the paper. "I was so impressed by the professional trainer, nurses, social workers, and support staff that I met. It didn’t take more than the first session to know that I had made the right choice," she says. Wood believes that volunteering satisfies the desire to give back. "I have met some marvelous people and every experience continually reminds me of how very special it can be to just give of your self," she says.
If you or someone you know would like more information about becoming a hospice volunteer please call Sally Melton at 541-789-6859 or visit online at Asante Hospice Volunteers.
About Asante Hospice
Asante Hospice is a life-enhancing support system of nurses, social workers, care aides, and volunteers, who help patients live well and at home as they enter the end stages of life. In operation for more than 18 years, the Asante Hospice team consists of 27 nurses, 5 social workers, 5 care aides, 4 chaplains, and 45 active volunteers who served more than 675 families in 2010. For more information about hospice services for the bereavement program, call 541-789-5005.