Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are an integral part of the work Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island does in bringing comfort and support to people nearing the end of life and to their families.

Our caring volunteers are the heart of HHCRI. They come from all walks of life and have many different interests and talents. They are special people who share the common bond of making a difference in the quality of others’ lives through direct patient care, grief support to bereaved families, community outreach, special events, fundraising, office support and complementary therapies.

Because the work we do is so critical to the well-being of others, we provide a training program for all volunteers. During training, our hospice professionals prepare you to help others in areas such as coping with a life-threatening illness, dealing with death and grief, and learning communication skills for sensitive circumstances. We ask that volunteers who have experienced a significant loss wait a year before going through our volunteer training.

What can you do?
Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island provides opportunities for you to use your time and talents in many ways. You decide how much time, how often and in what capacity you want to volunteer.

The following activities are some of the ways you can help.

Patient care

• Reading to a patient, or just listening
• Providing transportation for a patient or family member
• Staying with a patient while a family member takes a needed break or keeps an appointment
• Helping patients write a journal
• Shopping or doing errands for a patient
  

Grief or spiritual support

• Calling or visiting bereaved families to offer emotional support
• Praying with patients
• Delivering Holy Communion
• Participating in vigils at the end of life

Community relations

• Working on special events
• Helping with fundraising
• Providing information about hospice at health fairs
• Working with the speakers' bureau

Office support

• Typing, answering phones, filing, entering data
• Preparing mailings
• Photocopying

Complementary therapies

• Pet therapy
• Reiki therapy
• Music therapy
• Massage therapy 

Volunteer trainings are offered regularly. Please contact our Volunteer Program Manager Bobbi Wexler at 401-415-4260.  Download a volunteer application or fill one out online.