Volunteers are at the Heart of Hospice Care

How Do Hospice Volunteers Serve?

A number of avenues of support are open to the volunteers of Hospice of the Piedmont.   Among them are:

Direct Services to Patients and Their Families

Direct Services can include visiting, reading, taking walks, writing letters, listening to music, supervising visits with pets, even massage therapy for volunteers with the necessary skills.  Volunteers can assist with meal preparation, grocery shopping, transportation for appointments, or respite for a caregiver.  Patients and family members also enjoy a visit from a compassionate friend who understands what they are going through.

Bereavement Services

Some volunteers are particularly effective in providing a listening ear and a compassionate presence to those living with grief.  Working closely with Hospice's professional bereavement staff, volunteers assist with a variety of duties that include telephone calls, mailings, or facilitating a support group.

Special Events

Volunteer support is needed throughout the year for a variety of events including assistance at Journeys camps for children, fundraising events, receptions, community health fairs and educational events sponsored by Hospice of the Piedmont.

Clerical Assistance

Hospice volunteers may choose to provide clerical support for office staff in areas including: data entry, filing, copying, donation acknowledgments, and assistance with mailings.

Is Hospice Volunteering For You?

If you sincerely enjoy being with people, have good communication skills, and are open-minded, flexible, non-judgmental, reliable, dependable, and compassionate, you will probably make a great hospice volunteer!  Hospice volunteers make a huge difference in the lives of patients and their families at a time when needs are profound and, in the process, they strengthen the fabric of the whole community.





How Do You Become a Hospice Volunteer?

The process for becoming a hospice volunteer begins with an interview with the Volunteer Services Coordinator to assess your interests and suitability for this special area of service. Following the interview, all prospective volunteers are required to participate in a 22-hour basic training course on hospice care, dealing with such topics as death and dying, family dynamics, communications skills, spiritual care, the grief process and the role of the volunteer. Upon completion of the training, you will be asked to select your preferred area of service. Some services may require additional training, and all volunteers participate in on-going continuing education opportunities provided by Hospice of the Piedmont to enhance their skills.   You can download our Hospice Volunteer Application here.

To schedule an interview with the Volunteer Services Coordinator or to obtain further information, contact Tina Hughey-Commers at 434-817-6900 or 1-800-975-5501, or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it