Volunteer Opportunities

ATTN: Volunteer Opportunities

At the Sudbury Hospice, our volunteers make all the difference. With limited staff, our volunteers provide much needed support in all our programs to assist us in working with our clients, in our day program, bereavement program and running fundraising events. We couldn't do it without them.

There are many ways that you can volunteer with us. Some of the many opportunities are listed below, but for more information on volunteering for the Sudbury Hospice, please contact:

Léo Therrien, Executive Director
Tel: (705) 674-9252
Fax: (705) 674-5393
Email: leomlp@personainternet.com

Reception and Support Volunteers
These individuals provide a warm welcome to residents and visitors of the Sudbury Hospice. Duties include:

• Answering the door
• Answering the telephone
• Providing information to our residents, visitors, guests and callers
• Guiding individuals to staff and other volunteers as necessary

Library & Resources Volunteer Team

Library & Resources volunteers will be responsible for the general upkeep and maintenance of our library.  Duties may include:

• Set-up and record-keeping of our literature
• Ensuring our resources are kept up-to-date and books are well maintained
• Responding to the requests of our residents, their families and our staff for reading materials

Office Administration Volunteer Team
Office volunteers play a valuable role in the Sudbury Hospice office. The functions of the volunteer might include:

• filing
• computer work
• answering phones
• administrative work
• library organization, etc.

Fundraising & Development Volunteer Team

Duties of volunteers on this team include fundraising and developing the following events:

• Hike for Hospice(May annually)
• Valley Bingo (3 times per month)
• Kinsmen Showcase
• Annual Fundraising Campaign (Nov-Dec)
• Assisting in the planning and organizing of major events
• Hands on help to support our events

Kitchen Volunteer Team

Kitchen volunteers will assist with preparing meals as well as:

• grocery shopping for our residents
• organizing and cleaning kitchen area
• preparations of snacks and refreshments
• general tidy up
• making coffee/tea available

Xstrata Nickel Day Hospice Program Volunteer Team

The Xstrata Nickel Day Hospice Program is designed to provide a weekly opportunity for people who are living with a terminal illness and their families to come and benefit from social support, diversion, respite and planned activities. Volunteer duties include:

• Driving clients to the Hospice and back home
• Greeting and assisting clients arriving at the Hospice for the day
• Providing hands on care including gentle massage, manicure, arts & crafts
• sitting with clients who appear to be distressed or needing to talk

Property & Building Maintenance Volunteer Team

Duties of volunteers on this volunteer team may include:

• Painting and touch-up needs
• Maintaining our decorating flair to enhance our home
• Handy-man repair
• Light housekeeping to keep our home tidy
• Enhancing and maintaining the serenity of our surrounding yard and gardens

Board, Committee & Working Groups Volunteers
Many volunteers sit on the various committees of the Sudbury Hospice. The role of these volunteers is multifold and addresses the needs of the program as required.

Many volunteers sit on the various committees of the Sudbury Hospice.  The role of these volunteers is multifold and addresses the needs of the program as required.

• Board of Directors
  • Steering Committtee
    • Working Groups:

• Programs & Services
• Mission & Vision
• Land & Building
• Capital Campaign
• Fundraising
• Finance
• Marketing Committee
• French Language Services

Board Members
The Sudbury Hospice’s Board of directors comprises a cross section of the community, individuals who have special skills in areas such as health care, social services, religion, and business. The Board members, who act in a volunteer capacity, are responsible to the President of the Board and attend monthly meetings. Most Board members also sit on a working group/committee and may assume other volunteer positions.

Resident Service Volunteers
Resident service volunteers are people who work directly with the Sudbury Hospice residents and their families. These people come to us from all walks of life and with a variety of skills and knowledge to offer. All resident service volunteers must attend a volunteer training course which introduces them to the concepts of palliative care and helps to prepare them for their work with hospice residents. The volunteer role depends on the wishes of the resident and family in keeping with the Sudbury Hospice’s philosophy of being "resident centered".

A Resident Service Volunteer is:

• Compassionate and sensitive to persons and families facing a life threatening illness.
• Skilled in working with people; friendly, open, flexible, able to meet others on their own terms, a good listener.
• Non-judgmental.
• Able to understand and adapt to different cultural, racial, sexual, spiritual and intellectual needs of a client and family members.
• Aware of other people’s needs and able to meet those needs as a result of previous life experiences and on-going training.
• Able to let their person, not their skills, be the healing agent.
• Self-confident, able to function independently, and able to problem solve with the assistance of other team members when necessary.
• Able to recognize fears and limitations.
• Able to recognize that they will not always be needed by the resident and/or family.