Date: Wednesday, Oct 11th Time: 7pm - 8:30pm Are you interested in volunteering with the North Okanagan Hospice Society (NOHS)? NOHS is...
Volunteer in one of many areas of need. We have positions in reception, office, maintenance, and more. Fill out our Expression of Interest form at the bottom of this page to get started.
Volunteering at NOHS
NOHS is committed to providing a rewarding experience for our volunteers and an exceptional level of service to our residents, clients and our community.
Hospice volunteering is suitable for dedicated and caring people who are interested in supporting palliative individuals and being present throughout their journey. Although it can be difficult for some, for many it is the most rewarding and fulfilling way to help other people. We offer both direct and indirect service roles, so depending on your level of comfort, you can provide help and support in a variety of ways.
Volunteering Information Sessions
Volunteers are an essential part of our team. Hospice relies on the support of caring and compassionate individuals to help ensure our residents and their families receive the utmost level care.
NOHS welcomes volunteers who are interested in:
- Bringing comfort and companionship to our residents and families
- Being a Nav-CARE volunteer who visits people with a serious illness in their home
- Assisting with daily food services
- Supporting grief and bereavement programs
- Providing office and reception assistance
- Helping with fundraising activities and special events
- Nurturing our beautiful gardens
- Supporting our maintenance team
Please note that at this time, due to COVID-19 regulations set by the Interior Health Authority, all NOHS volunteers must be fully vaccinated in order to volunteer at hospice as well as provide results from a standard tuberculosis (TB) test.
Orientation and Training
We offer a comprehensive training program to ensure that volunteers are fully prepared for their role in our organization. The fee for this training is $70 which includes training materials, and a membership to our Society.
Once participants have attended an orientation session and wish to apply to the Volunteer Program, all potential volunteers will successfully complete:
- a pre-training interview
- a criminal record check
- provide two satisfactory personal references from persons not related to them
Our Commitment to You
Ongoing training, education, supervision and appreciation are provided to all of our Hospice volunteers.
Upon acceptance to our volunteer program, new volunteers are expected to attend one of our scheduled training programs.
Volunteers are expected to attend scheduled training; however, make-up sessions can be arranged for prospective volunteers who are unable to make every date during the training series. Training is offered at least annually and includes the following topics:
- The difference between hospice palliative care and curative care
- Family Dynamics
- Communication techniques
- Active listening
- Overcoming cultural differences
- Understanding how spirituality and grief affect clients and families
- Grief and Bereavement
- Self-Care and Boundaries
Those who are interested in our Nav-CARE program are required to take the Hospice Volunteer Training then there is a separate day for Nav-CARE volunteer training. To learn more, visit our Nav-CARE page HERE.
Watch our events page for our next training session dates.
For further information on becoming a volunteer, please contact:
Jenna Kiesman
Community Program Manager
250-503-1800 Ext 115
[email protected]
Join our Volunteer Team
The information on this form is strictly confidential. It is meant to give Hospice the opportunity to get to know
you a little better and understand how you would like to contribute.
This form is the first step in expressing your interest in volunteering at Hospice. We will contact you with an invitation to participate in a 1-hour introduction session (Spring & Fall). You can then decide, based on the information provided, if volunteering is for you. We highly value and respect our volunteers and select those most suited to working with a vulnerable population. This work could not be done without our volunteers.