Volunteering with VITAS is a Rewarding Experience
Hospice volunteers are trained to meet the needs of patients and families. They visit on a schedule, yet are open to change as dictated by the patient's health and interests. They are unpaid, yet priceless.
Because hospice patients have unique end-of-life needs, VITAS seeks volunteers from all backgrounds, experiences and cultures. We’re particularly interested in volunteers who understand the hospice philosophy and who embrace the importance of quality of life at the end of life.
Often, a family member who is grieving finds the calling to “give back” by becoming a VITAS volunteer.
Are you considering hospice volunteering but don't know what to expect?
Explore below to find out if it’s right for you:
About Volunteering
Jessica Ramos believes the best thing you can do for yourself is to be of service to others.
Learn More Volunteering: The Best Medicine for GriefStudies have shown that volunteering your time to a good cause can improve mental well-being and overall happiness.
Learn More Hospice Volunteers Capture Patients' StoriesWhen Marcia Elving saw an ad for Life Stories Volunteers with VITAS Healthcare, she says, “I knew that was the perfect way for me to be a volunteer.”
The past 31 years have proven that the best hospice care is provided by a unique combination of trained professionals and a caring community.
Learn MoreOpportunities
Many veterans receiving hospice care appreciate contact with volunteers who are also veterans, even if they served in a different time or place.
Learn More Memory BearsIf you’re someone who can sew or loves to make handcrafted items, VITAS offers special ways for you to use your time and talents as a craft volunteer.
Learn More Paw Pals®VITAS trains friendly, well-behaved pets to be Paw Pals. They volunteer with their owner to visit our hospice patients.
Learn More All Volunteer OpportunitiesSee a list of all the ways volunteers at VITAS can help our hospice patients.
Learn MoreVolunteer Stories
Ingrid Evans of Orinda, California, recently stitched up her 1,000th Memory Bear for families of VITAS hospice patients in the San Francisco area.
Learn More It Is Better to Give Than to ReceiveVeterans volunteers comprise a crucial component of the VITAS hospice team. Volunteering for a VITAS patient changed David Peden’s life forever.
Learn More ‘Somebody Helped My Dad, So I’ll Help Someone Else’Art Dobberstein has lived in Naples, Florida, for 30 years, but his early years were spent around horses.
Learn More