Volunteer roles
Volunteers are a valued part of our Hospice. Our volunteers provide thousands of hours of assistance each year. Everyone comes with different life experiences, skills, and interests. Which area(s) is/are most suited to your personality and skills?
Patient/Family Support & Bereavement Support
What our volunteers do: ‘Be there’ for patients, family/whanau.
Volunteer skills/traits: Compassion, kindness, sympathy, empathy, physically able to assist patients, able to observe, have good listening skills, able to be with people who are stressed without adding to their stress. Must be in good health when visiting patients and their families, as patients often have lowered or suppressed immune systems.
Training/orientation: MUST have completed the full Training Programme.
*Background check required: NZ Police Vetting
Special Time Out
What our volunteers do: Weekly Friday morning tea for patients and their family/whanau. Conversation, companionship, preparing cups of tea for patients.
Volunteer skills/traits: Compassion, kindness, sympathy, empathy, physically able to assist patients, able to observe, have good listening skills, share positive outlook, able to be with people who are stressed without adding to their stress. Must be in good health, as patients often have lowered or suppressed immune systems.
Training/orientation: MUST have completed the full Training Programme.
*Background check required: NZ Police Vetting
Fundraising and Public Relations Assistance
What our volunteers do: (Report directly to Funding Development & Public Relations Coordinator)
Promote Hospice and assist with fundraising efforts/ events. Large numbers of volunteers are needed during our ‘Remembrance Trees’ effort in November-December.
Volunteer skills/traits: Enthusiasm for Hospice, enjoy meeting people, the ability to bring people together able to organise, plan, and work in a team situation. People who are able to tap into a their own networks and contacts, and use these to promote specific activities and Hospice in general. Ability to listen since many community members like to share their own story when donating, etc.
Training/orientation: Volunteer orientation.
*Background check required: Ministry of Justice Criminal Conviction History
Retail Sales Staff
What our volunteers do: (Report directly to Shops Managers) Our only paid staff in our shops are the shop managers; therefore, we rely on wonderful volunteers to serve our customers and keep the stores stocked with quality pre-loved goods. Some volunteers prefer to work ‘in the back’, sorting and preparing goods for sale. Other volunteers prefer to work directly with customers on the sales floor. Some volunteers use the cash register. Hours are rostered by shop managers.
Volunteer skills/traits: Pleasant personality, positive attitude, physically fit, excellent customer service skills, honesty, reliability, flexibility, diplomacy, able to work in a team environment, able to follow instructions (written and oral). If using the till, able to handle money.
Training/orientation: Volunteer orientation; Shop orientation (includes manual handling, safety & security, basic first aid)
*Background check required: Ministry of Justice Criminal Conviction History
Newsletter
What our volunteers do: Several times per year help prepare Hospice EBOP newsletter for distribution (affix labels, stuff envelopes, etc.). Some volunteers hand-deliver newsletters to businesses to save Hospice the postage.
Volunteer skills/traits: Pleasant personality; able to follow instructions. If hand-delivering newsletters: physically fit, outgoing personality.
Training/orientation: Volunteer orientation
*Background check required: Ministry of Justice Criminal Conviction History
Patient Transport
What our volunteers do: Drive patients to appointments locally
Local Transport: No reimbursement of costs.
Volunteer skills/traits: Volunteers need their own registered, warranted, and safe vehicle. Current ‘clean’ driver licence required. Need to be physically able, as patients may require some assistance getting in and out of vehicles. Ability to listen. Pleasant personality, positive attitude. Must be in good health when driving patients.
Training/orientation: Volunteer orientation
*Background check required: NZ Police Vetting
Equipment Delivery & Collection
What our volunteers do: (Report directly to the van driver) Transport specialist equipment to and from patients’ homes. Set up/ dismantle electric beds. Shift furniture in patients’ homes to make room for Hospice equipment.
Volunteer skills/traits: Current ‘clean’ driver licence required (including manual vehicles), physically able to lift heavy equipment/ furniture. Available on on-call basis on short notice. Pleasant personality; comfortable around very ill and even deceased patients (occasionally the family asks for assistance in moving the patient in/out of the electric bed). Able to follow instructions (written and oral). Able to work independently. Must be in good health when delivering/ collecting equipment, as patients often have lowered or suppressed immune systems.
Training/orientation: Volunteer orientation; Manual Handling; Electric bed set-up/dismantling; Infection Control
*Background check required: NZ Police Vetting
Life Story Writers
What our volunteers do: Spending time with patients to listen and digitally record their life stories. Typing and formatting the stories into a finished book or booklet form. Hospice EBOP provides the patient/family with 1 bound life story book, with the option to purchase more from local printer.
Volunteer skills/traits: Passion for the value of patients’ personal histories. Access to a computer and Microsoft Word. Experience with Microsoft Word. Empathy, listening skills. Literacy and writing skills (including grammar and spelling). Able to work quickly and efficiently because sometimes the patient’s time is short. Able to visit the patient frequently, as they usually cannot work very long at one sitting. Pleasant personality, positive attitude, reliable. Able to follow instructions (written and oral). Able to work independently.
Training/orientation: Volunteer orientation; Life Story Writer Orientation
Life Story Writer meetings/ongoing training.
*Background check required: NZ Police Vetting
*Note: All volunteers must undergo a background check.
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Ministry of Justice Criminal Conviction History: volunteers with no or very limited patient contact
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NZ Police Vetting: volunteers with patient contact. Hospice EBOP is required by law to vet individuals who care for/support the vulnerable elderly and/or children.