Community Hospice is currently seeking people to participate in a new Volunteer Orientation training on Tuesday, November 12. Officials said although participants are needed for a variety of services, there is a particular need right now for veteran volunteers interested in providing support to other veterans.
The push for veteran participants comes from the We Honor Veterans program. It’s a collaboration between the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.
Andrea Arnett is the Director of Volunteer Services at Community Hospice. She said the goal is to provide the best end-of-life care possible for those who served.
“But also, that they receive additional support through volunteers and if we can pair them with a veteran - and we try to pair by branch if we can, so branch specific pairings - we just find that they have a different type of camaraderie than, you know, a regular civilian could offer at the end of life,” said Arnett.
People who are not veterans are also welcomed and encouraged to attend the session.
Arnett added normally, training sessions take two 8-hour sessions.
“This is a one-day shortened, abbreviated training, so it's a great opportunity for somebody who maybe just can't sit through two days, whether you're working. Maybe you're a student, maybe you just 16 hours is scary to you to be stuck in one place for that long. So, this is a great opportunity to become a hospice volunteer and train on a very abbreviated schedule,” said Arnett.
All volunteers must complete the required training to be certified. The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Community Hospice Office in Ashland. Arnett requests anyone attending the event RSVP by calling (606) 329-1890.