Long before today’s programs at University of Vermont Health – Home Health & Hospice took shape, community volunteers worked tirelessly to bring hospice care to the Champlain Valley.

This tradition of service to community is alive and well at Home Health & Hospice today, with some of our volunteers having served for decades.

There are a number of hospice volunteer opportunities to suit many interests, including companionship, answering phones, preparing or delivering meals and greeting families with warmth and comfort.

In the past year, our team has streamlined and revitalized the volunteer experience — introducing enhanced, flexible training (including self‑paced modules) so people can step into service confidently and efficiently. “We’ve been running at breakneck speed to rebuild capacity, and the new training approach helps us bring volunteers into service faster,” explains volunteer coordinator Megan Carmichael, who works with fellow coordinators Nell Smith and Briana Kohlbrenner to manage a wide range of volunteer programming.

A couple of examples give a sense of the breadth of services our volunteers provide: Dinners with Love pairs local restaurants with hospice families; volunteer callers coordinate weekly orders, and drivers deliver nourishing meals to the doorstep. Our bereavement volunteers extend that circle of care with compassionate calls to loved ones after a hospice patient’s death. Across every setting, volunteers are more than helpful hands; they are trusted companions and community ambassadors — “the story keepers of the organization,” as Megan likes to say.

This season, we’re excited to highlight Pet Peace of Mind (PPOM), a national program that helps hospice patients maintain vital bonds with their pets. Locally, PPOM volunteers walk dogs, tidy litter boxes, transport animals to veterinary and grooming appointments, maintain the Respite House fish tank and arrange short‑term fostering or permanent re‑homing. The outcomes are as practical as they are poignant: from keeping a daily routine steady for a patient’s pup, to finding the perfect new home for a cherished cat.

“I know how much my own pets mean to me, so it feels really meaningful to help keep our clients and their pets together. When we support them in caring for their animals, it gives them one less thing to worry about — and more space to focus on their own comfort and care,” says Robin Wheel, a volunteer since 2015. Our volunteers are an enduring bridge between our care and our community — neighbors who represent us at church, at the market and at family gatherings, carrying wisdom, experience and grace wherever they go.

Interested in learning more about hospice volunteer opportunities? Email our volunteer office at voloff@uvmhomehealth.org.