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Volunteering at Seacoast Hospice

Seacoast Hospice was founded by volunteers in 1978, and volunteers continue to be the heart of our organization. Volunteers provide companionship, respite, and support to patients and families as well as “behind the scenes” assistance to staff.

Together with the support of our many community volunteers, Seacoast Hospice cares for hundreds of patients in their own homes, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and at the Hyder Family Hospice House.

There are two ways an individual can volunteer at Seacoast Hospice:

Direct-care volunteers

These volunteers work directly with patients and families, and are required to complete a 21+ hour training program. Direct-care volunteers serve as an integral component of the Seacoast Hospice team.

Additional training is provided for volunteers working with specialized groups, including grief support and the Hyder Family Hospice House.

Here are some examples of how direct-care volunteers assist:

Patients’ areas of interest:

• reading
• playing chess, cards, board games
• knitting, scrapbooking, painting and other art projects
• writing letters and/or books
• video life review

Household Tasks:

• running errands
• walking pets
• grocery shopping
• childcare
• light meal preparation
• light housekeeping

 Emotional Support:

• providing respite for caregivers
• sitting silently, when appropriate
• providing spiritual support when requested
• understanding and respecting
• facilitating support groups for grieving children and adults

Indirect-care volunteers

Volunteers serving in this capacity provide administrative assistance, maintain our community lending libraries, work on our grounds and labyrinth garden, speak to the public about our services, and serve on our board of directors. A five-hour training program is required for individuals who wish to provide this type of service.