Make a Difference. Volunteer!

You can make a difference in the lives of people who are facing end-of-life illnesses and their families and friends. Many people enjoy volunteering at Hospice. There are many ways to volunteer at Hospice.

You can volunteer to:

  • Visit patients
  • Read to patients
  • Sing to patients
  • Run errands for patients and their families
  • Help in meal preparation
  • Do light cleaning and vacuuming for patients
  • Do maintenance work at the Hospice facility
  • Decorate for different seasons
  • Shred, file, and do other office-type duties
  • Help with mailings
  • Water and take care of the plants at Hospice offices, both inside and outside

Remember:

  • No experience is required to become a volunteer, just an interest in helping others.
  • Those interested must first complete free Hospice volunteer training.
  • Following completion of training, the volunteer will meet with the Volunteer Coordinator to discuss their areas of interest and expertise.

Throughout the year, Hospice holds several dinners for volunteers and staff. These fun events are a great way for volunteers to get to know each other and to interact with staff members. Hospice also schedules monthly In-Service meetings on a wide variety of interesting topics that are also open to volunteers.

 

 

"I have a plaque on my wall that I read every day. It says, 'I've seen and met angels wearing the disguise of ordinary people living ordinary lives.' This reminds me of all of you."

Thanks to our Many Volunteers

Due to the pandemic, Hospice hasn't been able to host the annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner this year. However, Hospice wants our valued volunteers to know the staff really misses seeing them and is looking forward to when volunteer efforts can resume.

Hospice volunteers make a difference! Hospice staff miss the smiling faces of volunteers as they work around the building.

Volunteers are a vital part of the Hospice Care Team. They reflect the faces of caring that is in our community. By sharing their time, energy, and talents, volunteers positively impact the lives of those in need. Thank you!

 

Hawley named  2022 "Hospice Volunteer of the Year"

Barb Hawley has been selected as the “2022 Volunteer of the Year” at Hospice, Serving Davis and Wapello Counties. Hawley has been involved in many different areas of Hospice, including designing and assisting with craft activities for the bereavement program, greeting visitors at the front desk, and preparing food for volunteer appreciation dinners.

“Barb is a dedicated volunteer who is always willing to help our Hospice in any way that she can,” said Angie Rozenboom, Hospice Executive Director.

Hawley isn’t the first in her family to receive this honor as her husband, Dave, was recognized as the volunteer of the year in 2016.  Dave passed away in 2019, while he was receiving Hospice care.

After personally utilizing Hospice services for her mother-in-law in 2011 and then later her husband, she knew she wanted to give back and has been volunteering since.

“When my husband’s mother was a Hospice patient, we learned what Hospice was all about,” Hawley said. “We began volunteering shortly after that.”

She said volunteering has helped her to cope with her losses.

“I really enjoy the employees at Hospice as well as the people who come into the Hospice building,” she said. “I love getting to know people and hearing the stories that they have to tell. I think that by being around people who are experiencing the loss of a loved one, it helps you to heal from your own loss.”

In addition to volunteering at Hospice, Hawley has also been active in the Hospice Auxiliary, including serving on the organization’s board of directors.

Hawley will be honored at the Hospice and Palliative Care Association of Iowa Fall Conference in West Des Moines on Wednesday, November 2.