How Can I Help?

We don't see volunteering as a one-way street. We get your time and know-how, but you won't walk away empty-handed. You'll get new skills and experience. Maybe even a qualification or experience for future employment. And you'll have a really good time along the way meeting the incredible people in our Hospice Georgina family.

Hospice Georgina has four categories of volunteers:

• Palliative visiting volunteers
• Grief support volunteers
• Events and Outreach team
• Lifestyle resource volunteers

Palliative visiting volunteers

Hospice Georgina relies on a number of specially trained volunteers to support a palliative client's social and emotional needs. All palliative care volunteers must complete the Core Concepts in Palliative Care course to do palliative visiting.

Visiting:
Volunteers may visit in a client's home or place of residence, offer telephone support or provide caregiver support. Volunteers usually visit weekly and are needed for daytime, evening and weekend visits, depending on client preferences. Volunteers may also support children whose parent or sibling is living with a life-threatening illness with activities such as: homework, crafts or reading. Volunteers also facilitate groups such as the Willow breast cancer support group.

Drop-in Program:
Volunteer-led drop in programs are offered weekly in Sutton and Keswick to provide caregiver relief and to provide a welcoming atmosphere for leisure and social time with a group who understand what other clients are experiencing.

Grief support volunteers

Reaching out for support at the right time can truly make a difference for someone who is grieving. After completing bereavement skills training, Hospice volunteers play a key role in helping people along their grief journey.

Grief Groups:
Several volunteer-led group programs help clients to understand strategies surrounding the process of grieving. Wellness, journaling, meditation and understanding that everyone grieves differently are concepts supported through our programs. Children's grief programs include: expressive storytelling, esteem building and creative arts and tribute projects. Our monthly Widow's Walk program is also volunteer-led. Volunteers also facilitate support groups such as for cancer survivors.

Tributes:
Volunteers provide supportive tips for families, worksites and schools to acknowledge and remember both the life and the death of a loved one. Hospice Georgina volunteers plan community memorial services and other tributes such as maintaining the labyrinth and memory tree at the Georgina Civic Centre.

Events and Outreach team

We welcome indirect client support volunteers to help meet our hospice goals. It is a great way to refresh your skills and expand your interests with others in a variety of volunteer activities:

• Board of Directors or committee membership
• Fundraising events
• Volunteer recognition events
• Community outreach - information booths, speakers
• Communications and newsletters
• Office support, library or equipment loans

Lifestyle resource volunteers

Clients find that enhancing various lifestyle interests can improve their outlook, coping skills and sense of purpose in life. Lifestyle volunteers offer hands-on opportunities to explore creative arts and complementary therapies. Please consider sharing your talents with others:

• Painting, quilting, music, journaling, scrapbooking, gardening, drumming, photography, crafts
• Yoga, meditation, visualization, native healing, Tai Chi, therapeutic touch, massage therapy