A Day in the life of a Haynes House of Hope Volunteer

By Crystal Everdyke

Many interested folks have asked what is needed for a person to become a volunteer at the Haynes House.  The answer may be surprising.  The most important thing necessary to becoming a great volunteer is to have a heart for the residents and their families.  Our main goal is to help our residents to be as comfortable as possible, keeping their needs and preferences in mind during every step of their care.  That may mean cooking their favorite food, watching a movie with them, reading to them, talking with them or just making sure that they are not alone. 

Volunteers at the Haynes House do not need to have any special medical background or training; the residents that live here are not in need of specific or detailed medical care.  Our volunteers are given an orientation that teaches them how to provide comfort care and support for the residents and their families.  Volunteers are also never asked to do anything that may be out of their comfort zone.  Shifts are four hours long and can be done in pairs or couples.  Shifts can be done on a weekly or monthly basis, as many or as few as each volunteer has time for.  Besides caring for the residents, there are always jobs around the house, like laundry, cleaning and snow removal during the winter.  Each volunteer does what they are comfortable with and capable of.

Our residents and their families have been very appreciative of the care that they have received during their stay here.  One resident commented that “it’s nice to have someone with me 24/7” and “every volunteer does something special for me.”  Our volunteers receive great personal satisfaction from the knowledge that they are helping to make the residents and their families comfortable through what could be a very difficult time. 

All of us at the Haynes House of Hope would like to welcome you into our family of care givers and volunteers.  Please give us a call at (518) 642-8155 to find out how you can help.

 

 

 

Comments

comments

Read more in this week's Sentinel in newsstands now or click here to read right now with our e-edition.

Tags: Care Givers, Haynes, Heart, Jobs, Main Goal, Medical Background, Orientation, Pairs, Snow Removal, Volunteers