Become a Volunteer

Thank you for your interest in hospice volunteering. Volunteers support hospice organizations in a variety of ways and are integral members of the team.  Hospices simply can’t exist without volunteers!

Please know that we appreciate your interest and, if you are not selected for a volunteer position at this time, we will keep your name on file and circle back when we are ready to bring more volunteers onto the team. We strive to truly engage volunteers and ensure that your time is wisely spent in a way that is a good fit for both you and the hospice.

Mariposa House and Hospice Orillia partner on the application and training process for all hospice volunteers in the Couchiching area.  Potential roles include:

All volunteer applicants are carefully screened and, if selected as a candidate, must complete a training program that aligns with Hospice Palliative Care Ontario standards.  Each role has unique training requirements that are relevant to that position. For more information on the process involved in becoming a volunteer please continue reading below.

Becoming a Direct Service Volunteer

Training

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.

The Process

There are 10 key steps to becoming a Direct Service hospice volunteer in the Couchiching area:

  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 a Direct Service volunteer role with Hospice Orillia or Mariposa House.
    • Are you able to complete approximately 30 hours of training? The training program for Direct Service Volunteers is a combination of in-person facilitated and independent online learning.
    • 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 Direct Service Volunteer commit to a minimum of one year of service.
  1. Attend an information session: The one-hour session is offered several times a year via Zoom. Information about volunteer roles at Hospice Orillia and Mariposa House will be provided. Dates for our 2022/23 information session are listed in the form below.
  2. Carefully Consider: whether you are ready to proceed with the next steps in the process. Is this the right type of volunteering for you? Is now the right time for you to make a commitment?
  3. Confirm: After the information session, confirm which volunteer role you are interested in and submit an official application to proceed. The role you select will determine which organization works with you through the rest of the process.  
  4. Interview: Participate in an interview with the hospice team about what makes you a good fit for hospice volunteering.
  5. Provide references: The hospice team will follow up with your references directly.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Attend post-training check-in: This allows an opportunity to reflect on the training program and determine whether you and the hospice team both agree that it’s a good fit for you to move forward with volunteering. This is also when you would sign confidentiality agreement and code of conduct and receive a more specific orientation to the role you have been selected for.
  9. Complete role-specific orientation

Becoming an Organizational Support Volunteer

Training

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.

The Process

(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.
  1. Interview: Participate in an interview with the hospice team about what makes you a good fit for an Organizational Support volunteer role.
  2. Provide references: The hospice team will follow up with your references directly.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Complete role-specific orientation
Volunteer Positions with Hospice Orillia
Visiting Hospice Volunteer
Caregiver Connection
Comp Therapy Hospice Volunteer
Footprints Project Volunteer
Bereavement Volunteer
Bereavement Group Facilitation
Administrative Support Volunteer
Ready to find out more? We look forward to hearing from you!