Volunteering
Public Volunteering Pages
Volunteer Testimonials
“It’s awe-inspiring to be welcomed into the lives of family at such a difficult time. To sum up, I would have to say that my hospice work experience has played a significant role in my spiritual development.”
“Volunteering my time is a gift I give and am rewarded by making a difference in someone’s life. It has reinforced my personal and spiritual values and principles as an individual. The hospice has brought me joy to be in their family and their ongoing support has given me knowledge to develop my skills.”
“I am privileged to spend precious time with wonderful people in their last hours, days, weeks, months on this earth and we share a very special bond. What could be more wonderful than that? We are here to serve others, plain and simple. Don’t hesitate, just do it!”
“ One gets the “bigger picture” when working with the dying.
“Developing new friendships with staff members as well as other volunteers is rewarding. Spending time with people who share a common goal or interest has been very gratifying."
"Sharing time during a most profound and intimate journey with another human being is both an honour and a privilege. Knowing that just “being there” can make all the difference in a dying person’s life has certainly helped me grow spiritually. The “work” has also helped me to envision how I would like my last days to be!”
“ As a complementary therapist, I have been able to help make a client feel more comfortable, ease pain, and help with stress relief and relaxation. Being able to support someone in that way and to know that it’s making a difference in their life is incredibly rewarding for both of us. Also, the hospice does a great job in matching clients with volunteers, so sometimes there is a mutual rapport and connection, which can brighten the days of both people. That human connection is incredibly valuable.”
“ I have felt very honoured to be part of the lives of my clients and their families at a point in time that is most often very difficult. We share our stories, and our fears hopes and dreams over the course of my visits. There are often tears, but there is laughter too.”
“I have found it such a privilege to be involved with people – those who are ill and their families and friends – who each in their own way have shown their courage in the face of challenges none of them would choose. Many find their illness and life changing circumstances an opportunity to discover what life means to them and what it means to truly love someone, as well as learn to receive love and care with a new gratitude. I have learned in the most intimate of circumstances the amazing capacity of human beings to live their lives with dignity and joy, even in the most painful of circumstances. I have learned that listening and just being there is a gift that is needed and welcomed. As a volunteer providing Reiki I have also learned that Reiki offers people not only comfort, but also supports them in a deeply profound way.”
“It is when I do hospice work that I feel that everything that I have done in life has relevance and is important. I have experienced sadness and I have experienced joy and laughter. I feel very blessed that with each hospice client I have found much common ground. It is as if each oyster has supplied a pearl. There is something so beautiful to be able to hear someone’s life story and their perspective and to truly experience their humanity.”
“My rule of thumb has always been to try to make a difference in all that I do. Work, friendships, even as I go about day to day errands. I started the hospice work because I wanted to make someone’s life that much brighter and meaningful and as time went on I felt as it my life had taken on a brighter and much more meaningful path because of the hospice work I was doing. It really is a very small contribution in the scale of things but it makes such a big difference all around.”
“I find it a most rewarding experience and I get back so much from my client and family, who express such gratitude always. Their courage and love blow me away. It makes me happy to lighten the burden of anticipatory grief for the family and what they are going through. I believe, for me, success is having lightened the burden of one soul, and to give people hope is the greatest gift-- and for them to feel understood and heard. That makes life worth living. My most fulfilling hours are the hours spent volunteering. It is living, sharing, loving at the most meaningful and profound level. It quickly puts life into perspective for me, as to what is most important and meaningful. It helps me to become a more spiritual, loving, better and empathetic person. They are a constant “gift” to me. I am lucky to be part of a group of volunteers-- wonderful, wonderful people with great hearts.
"I’m welcomed into people’s home and they share their joys and sorrows with me - a total stranger. All this would not have happened if I did not take the time to volunteer!!!”
“I don’t think serving others can be underestimated as a rewarding activity. When there is a sincere desire on one’s part to serve or help others, just the act alone can be rewarding - being compassionate to others also creates an energy of receiving compassion in our lives. Generosity is a felt experience. I have only just begun with clients.”
“Volunteer work opened my heart, it made me shift my priorities; my life is not so rushed anymore. I stop to smile at people when they go by. I value everything that has to do with nature and humanity. I am learning to follow my dreams and to take one step at the time towards what my heart tells me to do. It is amazing to listen to people’s stories, to be able to give them a hug when they need it--to just be with them. Every one has touched me in different ways and every visit is unique. I am learning how to go with the flow, to be open-minded, and be able to deal with everything that comes as it comes…
" Every week I want to see my clients and I miss them if I cannot
go for some reason.”