Volunteer Opportunities

All volunteers that are involved in providing “direct service” (see chart above) must complete the full hospice volunteer training program which includes a combination of virtual and in-person learning.

For Hospice Orillia, this is important because you may be volunteering independently without staff nearby.  For Mariposa House, you are likely to have frequent interactions with residents and their family/friends whether you are at reception, in the kitchen, or visiting a resident’s room. In all direct services roles, you will deal with sensitive subject matter, and we want to provide you with as many resources as possible to make sure you feel prepared for your volunteer role. Completing the full training program also allows volunteers to move between roles without further training.

Our full training program for direct service hospice volunteers includes approximately 8-10 hours of in-class facilitated learning combined with 15-20 hours of online learning through the HPCO (Hospice Palliative Care Ontario) Hospice Volunteer Curriculum.

Volunteers who provide “organizational support” (see chart above) complete a condensed training/orientation program specific to their role. These volunteer roles are essential to our success including roles such as Fundraising/Events, Board of Directors, Ambassadors (Community Awareness), Admin Support, Gardening, and Maintenance.

(May require fewer, or more, steps depending on the requirements of the position).

1. Submit Expression of Interest: Complete the form below. Once we receive your completed form, a hospice representative will reach out within 2-3 business days. Before submitting your expression of interest to become a Direct Service Volunteer, we ask that you consider the following before applying:

• • Have you experienced a close loss within the last year? Please note that the hospice team will likely recommend that you wait at least one year after a major loss before taking on the commitment of an Organizational Support volunteer role with Hospice Orillia or Mariposa House.
  • Are you able to commit to a minimum of one year of volunteering with either Hospice Orillia or Mariposa House (or both)? Due to the robust nature of our screening and training process, we ask that each Organizational Support volunteer commits to a minimum of one year of service.

2. Interview: Participate in an interview with the hospice team about what makes you a good fit for an Organizational Support volunteer role.
3. Provide references: The hospice team will follow up with your references directly.
4. Request a Police Records Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening: The hospice team will provide a letter to you that you can use to request a police record check.
5. Complete training program: Upon successful completion of the interview and screening process you will be signed up to complete the in-person facilitated sessions and the online learning modules.
6. Attend post-training check-in: This allows an opportunity to reflect on the training program and determine whether you and the hospice admin team both agree that it’s a good fit for you to move forward with volunteering. This is also when you would sign a confidentiality agreement and code of conduct and receive a more specific orientation to the role you have been selected for.
7. Complete role-specific orientation