Hospice Program Seeks Volunteers
Crossroads Hospice, which has four location across Missouri, including one in Chesterfield, seeks compassionate volunteers to provide comfort, companionship and a helping hand to terminally ill patients and their families in their homes, in assisted living facilities and nursing facilities.
Volunteers are also welcome to help Crossroads staff in the office, including planning a “Gift of a Day,” which asks a patient to describe a perfect day and then makes it a reality.
Crossroads Hospice welcomes student volunteers who are 16 years or older to donate time to hospice volunteering. By donating as little as 45 minutes per week, students can help fulfill community service hour requirements while honing their social abilities, boosting self-confidence and developing new skills.
Volunteers share their favorite activities like reading, card games, playing music, or arts and crafts. They can bring their pets to visit patients or run errands and provide respite for family members.
“We call our volunteers ‘Ultimate Givers’ because they selflessly give extra love and comfort to terminally ill patients and their families,” says Volunteer Manager Elizabeth Nelson. “Just being a friendly voice or giving caregivers a much-needed break makes a world of difference. Best of all, our volunteers often gain as much as they give—new relationships, new skills and great satisfaction.”
For more information or to sign up as an “Ultimate Giver,” students should contact Nelson at 636-735-2000 or elizabeth.nelson@crossroadshospice.com or visitwww.crossroadshospice.com/hospice-volunteering/hospice-volunteering/.
Before becoming an “Ultimate Giver,” participants must complete an application, TB skin test and training session led by members of the Crossroads team. Potential volunteers must wait a minimum of one year after the death of an immediate family member or loved one before applying.
Crossroads Hospice has locations in Chesterfield, Independence, and Warrensburg.