Volunteers
Volunteers Are the Heart of Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care
Our hospice volunteers are members of the community who donate their time and offer compassionate and caring support to our Hospice patients and their families. Some of our volunteers have had a personal experience with Hospice care; others simply want to give back to our community in a meaningful way. All of our volunteers are carefully screened and are required to complete 18 hours of volunteer training, which is offered two times a year, in the spring and in the fall.
Volunteers are important members of the Hospice Care Team. They provide the same services as a friendly neighbor would. Some of the ways our volunteers help Hospice families include shopping or running errands, preparing a light meal, reading or letter writing, 
filling in to give family caregivers a break, or simply being present and listening.
Volunteers visit a patient an average of 1-2 times per week, for 1-2 hours. The time commitment can fluctuate depending upon the patient’s needs and the volunteer’s availability. VNHC also has a volunteer Pet Therapy Program and a Flower Delivery Program. In addition, we have volunteers who support and assist our Hospice patients and staff at VNHC’s Serenity House.
Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care Launches We Honor Veterans “Vet-to-Vet Hospice Volunteer Program One out of every four dying Americans is a veteran of war. VNHC has joined We Honor Veterans, a program of National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is designed to empower hospice professionals to meet the unique needs of dying veterans. With guidance and training through We Honor Veterans, VNHC has begun a Veteran-to-Veteran Volunteer program where they match veteran hospice volunteers with patients who are also veterans and seeking hospice care.
If you are interested in becoming a VNHC Hospice volunteer, please read our letter Dear Potential Volunteer for more detailed information.
If you would like to be a VNHC Hospice volunteer, please download a copy of the Volunteer Application and fax it to: 805-690-6270 or mail it to: VNHC Volunteers, 512 E. Gutierrez Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103.
The next classroom training begins Wednesday, March 6, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm and continues for 4 more consecutive Wednesdays, and completed on April 3rd.
Self directed training is available for those volunteers who need to customize their own schedule because they cannot attend the in-class training. There must be some time frames available during regular business hours M-F, 8:00 to 5:00 for processing. Please contact the Volunteer Department at (805) 690-6274 for details or email us by clicking on this link: Arlene Stepputat.
To find out more about the volunteer opportunities in the Santa Ynez and Lompoc Valleys, please contact the Volunteer Department at (805) 690-6274 for more information.
