Want to Become a Hospice Volunteer?

Contact the GRMC Hospice Volunteer Coordinator at 575/547-4934 for more details on their specific needs but some of the wide range of opportunities available for local hospice volunteers can include:

• Compassionate presence. A Volunteer can be a commpassionate presence who understands what the patient and family are going through.

• Support for patients. This can include visiting, reading, taking walks, writing letters, bringing in music, supervising visits with pets, even massage therapy for volunteers with the necessary skills. Volunteers can also help with recording memories or life stories.

• Respite and Family Care. This can include help with childcare, or care of your garden. Volunteers have also made invaluable contributions with family pet care -- dog walking, horse care, etc.

• Bereavement support programs. Hospice volunteers can work closely with the hospice’s professional bereavement staff in duties that range from assisting as a support group facilitator to serving refreshments and helping with mailings to clients and families .

• Fund-raising and administrative work. A volunteer with clerical skills can serve a hospice by helping in the office with simple administrative duties. Fundraising responsibilities can range from preparing mailings or thank you letters to organizing fundraising events and contacting possible donors.

To ensure that all volunteers are equipped for the challenge of working with the dying, GRMC Hospice requires that volunteers complete extensive orientation and training sessions, as well as submit to a routine background check. It’s important that volunteers understand the history of hospice and are aware of the specific ways their local hospice works to serve the community. Depending on area of service, additional training may be available or necessary.