St. Joseph’s Hospice highly relies on volunteer support to fulfill our mission, vision and values to unconditionally care and support those approaching end-of-life, those caring for them and those grieving for them. Without our volunteer’s gift of their time and energy, we would not be able to do the work we do at Hospice, they truly are the HEART of Hospice. We are very fortunate to have over 370 volunteers that share their skills, kindness and compassion in over 23 different areas.
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with St. Joseph’s Hospice! We invite you to join us and share your time, skills and experience to a great cause!
Welcome Letter
Volunteer Brochure
Important Considerations
Volunteer Requirements Checklist
The individual below has applied to be a volunteer at St. Joseph’s Hospice Resource Centre of Sarnia Lambton (Hospice) and has given your name as a reference. Volunteers, while not the experts, work in a supportive capacity in a team environment to help families and their loved ones at the end of life. Our residents are vulnerable; therefore, it is important for our volunteers to possess specific skills, knowledge and experience in order to provide the best care.
Please complete the following questions, to the best of your ability and honestly, to help us in the application process. Your input is important in helping us assure that we have the right person to help us in this important work! Note that this is private and confidential and will only be seen by the Volunteer Program Coordinator and will be used in determining the applicant’s suitability for volunteering at Hospice.
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with St. Joseph’s Hospice! We invite you to join us and share your time, skills and experience to a great cause!
Residence Reception Volunteers have a desire and/or experience with greeting the public, guests and family members of residents visiting Hospice. They also assist with incoming phone calls and front reception inquiries.
Kitchen Volunteers will provide support to the Kitchen Coordinator in maintaining a clean and tidy kitchen facility. Volunteers assist with meal preparations for breakfast, lunch and dinner for residents as well as food prep and delivery for Day Hospice.
Grocery Shopping Volunteers will get groceries for our kitchen, using a designated shopping list provided by the Kitchen Coordinator.
Trained and educated volunteers assist our professional staff in the direct personal care of our residents. They provide their time, physical support and compassionate nature directly at the bedside of our residents.
Housekeeping volunteers will assist our professional Housekeeper with maintaining the Resource and Residence buildings in a clean and orderly manner. These volunteers will assist with general housekeeping duties.
Our Maintenance Volunteer assists with “handy-man” type tasks, such as changing light bulbs, hanging pictures or shelves, etc. and assisting with taking out the garbage and recycling weekly.
Our Gardening Volunteers are people who have an interest or experience in gardening or horticulture. These volunteers assist with the maintenance of our grounds and gardens at both our Resource and Residence buildings.
We have volunteer support at our Resource Centre who assist our staff and organization.
Resource Reception Volunteers have a desire and/or experience with greeting the general public, assisting with answering and directing phone calls and assisting staff with minor tasks or projects (ex. Envelope stuffing).
The Board of Directors and Committee Members are responsible for setting the strategic direction of the organization. Volunteers with medical, legal, financial, marketing, social services and other professional skills serve on the Board and Committees.
These volunteers support St. Joseph’s Hospice with our signature events, including committee participation, logistics and fundraising support. From our signature events to third party events, our events and fundraising volunteers participate in a variety of events from Galas to Raffle Ticket Sales to Golf Tournaments.
Supportive Services offers many volunteer opportunities to individuals wanting to work directly with clients in the community as well as in our Hospice Residence.
If you prefer to work behind the scenes and not directly with clients and residents, our office support volunteer position supports our Supportive Services Team in administrative duties.
Music Entertainment Volunteers have an opportunity to play music in the great room in the Residential Hospice.
The Living Life Well Program Coordinator facilitates and organizes the group, while volunteers provide emotional support and companionship to clients. Volunteers in Day Hospice also have an opportunity to assist in serving lunch, setting up and taking down the room, and driving clients to and from group.
A Volunteer Visitor is matched with a client who has a life-limiting illness. They visit between 1 to 4 hours a week in the individual home, in the community or the Hospice Residence. Companionship, support with practical tasks (light housekeeping, meal preparation), transportation and life review/legacy work are all components of the volunteer match. Volunteer visiting is provided both in the home and/or through telephone support.
A support group is offered twice monthly for caregivers of those with a life limiting illness. It is facilitated by the Living Life Well Program Coordinator and a volunteer. Volunteers in this group will help set up and clean up from group, help in the facilitation of peer sharing and companioning.
Caregiver Phone Support Volunteer
Caregiver Phone Support Volunteers provide emotional support through weekly phone calls to those who are caring for a loved one with a life limiting illness.
Complementary Therapy Volunteers
Our Complementary Therapy Program is provided exclusively by certified professional volunteers who offer their time to residents and their families. We offer Reiki, Massage Therapy, Reflexology, and Therapeutic Touch.
Our Pet Therapy Volunteers are trained with a certified pet therapy dog to provide comfort to those they serve in our Day Hospice Program and in our Hospice Residence when requested.
Adult Bereavement Volunteers assist in the facilitation of peer support groups, working closely with the Supportive Services Coordinator. Volunteers provide support through compassionate listening and guiding the group through the session, but they do not provide counselling.
Walking Group Volunteers assist in the facilitation of the weekly walks in Canatara Park during the Spring, Summer, and Fall, providing grief support and companionship to clients.
Children’s Bereavement Facilitator
Volunteers who work in the children’s program will always work with a staff member. Their role is supportive, in that most of the interventions in group are led by the staff person, and volunteers assist children in engaging in activities when required.
Volunteers who work in the children’s bereavement camp require ample energy to keep up with the days packed with activities and expressions of grief.
Compassionate Care Volunteers work alongside the Spiritual Care Provider to deliver support and/or vigil to residents and their families through a compassionate presence.
Spiritual Support Volunteers work in conjunction with the Spiritual Care Provider to enhance the connection residents have with their sense of self, present moment, spiritual source, relationships and to provide a supportive presence at end-of-life.
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with St. Joseph’s Hospice Resource Centre of Sarnia-Lambton. Our volunteers are the HEART of St. Joseph’s Hospice. We would not be able to provide compassionate care to our community during their end-of-life journey without our volunteer’s support.
Please complete this application form if you are interested in volunteering with St. Joseph’s Hospice.
Due to a significant influx in volunteer applications, not all applicants can be accepted for training. The Volunteer Program Coordinator will contact you regarding a screening interview, based on organizational needs and capacity
