Opportunities From: VolunteerME Kennebec Valley

Direct Care Hospice Volunteers provide compassionate non-medical support to individuals who are living at end-of-life. This support may be in the form of companionship, doing light household chores, picking up and delivering groceries, running errands, meal preparation, shoveling snow, bedside vigil or other complementary care. Volunteers are asked to give from 1-3 hours per week of their time. Direct Care Hospice Volunteers must complete an application, a 24-hour training and a background check before starting to volunteer.

Bereavement Volunteers help to facilitate support groups for adults and children/youth who have lost a loved one. Adult support groups may address grief in general or may specialize in assisting parents who have lost a child or infant, adult children who have lost a parent, partner loss, holiday grief support, or loss due to suicide. In our special program, Hope's Place, volunteers can assist children and youth who have lost a significant person in their lives. Volunteers may facilitate weekly expressive art groups, run workshops, or assist with Camp Ray of Hope, a weekend retreat for children and their families. Bereavement volunteers typically give 1-3 hours per week of their time. They must also complete an application, 20 hour training, and background check before beginning to volunteer.

General Volunteers typically do not provide direct care to clients or the bereaved, but contribute to HVWA's mission in other important ways. This may be through volunteering at our resale shop, answering phones, organizing donations, and assisting with fundraisers or special events. General Volunteers typically give between 2-4 hours per week and require an 4 hour training.