Volunteer With Sharp HospiceCare

Become a hospice volunteer and change a life.

Interested in volunteering? Sharp HospiceCare has many volunteer opportunities available and is always looking for committed volunteers to join our team. Volunteering can be a truly rewarding experience that is deeply appreciated by our patients and families.

Hospice Volunteers
Sharp HospiceCare volunteers are essential to the hospice team, providing services that hospice otherwise could not offer. Volunteers give their time and compassion to patients and families dealing with end-of-life care needs, providing support in the home, a skilled nursing facility or a hospital. 

Volunteers provide nonmedical services such as:

Sharp HospiceCare Memory Bears

Individuals experiencing grief need the resources and support to help them during difficult times. Memory Bears are one way to bring comfort and peace to families. Volunteers receive special training to craft the bears from garments once worn by the patient, such as a favorite shirt, sweater or dress, which are then transformed into memorable teddy bears by experienced volunteer sewers. Memory Bears are loving and healing — the garment and the urge to hug the bear have brought incredible support to people.

This program began in 2002 with only 8 volunteers and has produced more than 4,000 bears to date. Although nothing, not even time, can heal the pain of losing a cherished family member or friend, Memory Bears do provide a sense of comfort to those grieving.

As one family member testified: "Please make sure your volunteers know how greatly they are appreciated. I was thrilled when my sister told me that I could have a Memory Bear made from my husband’s clothing. When the bear arrived, my 19-year-old daughter, who had not been able to show grief, grabbed the bear and slept with it. The bear provided her comfort when she needed it most. The bear is very precious to me as well. I now keep it on my dresser and it’s been a quiet way to embrace my husband." — Wife of Sharp HospiceCare patient

Volunteer sewers attend a workshop taught by a quilting teacher and learn to create Memory Bears. Attendees will need to bring basic sewing supplies (list provided upon registration) and a sewing machine (some machines will be available if needed). To register for an upcoming training session, please call the Sharp HospiceCare Volunteer Office at 619-667-1913.

To find out how Sharp HospiceCare can make a Memory Bear for you, call 619-667-1900.

Teen Volunteer Program
Teen volunteers have provided a rewarding experience for our patients, their families and the teens themselves. Their dedication and enthusiasm for the lives of patients, and the comfort they bring to those they touch, have become an important aspect of Sharp HospiceCare. All of our teens receive the same level of training that patient-care volunteers receive, and provide some of the following services:

• Companionship in skilled-nursing facilities
• Life review (including videotaping, audio taping, journaling and scrap booking)

Volunteer Training
All volunteers receive extensive hospice training to feel confident in their ability to help. For those providing patient care, Sharp HospiceCare provides a 32-hour comprehensive training program. If an individual chooses nonpatient-care volunteer support, they will also receive special training. However you choose to volunteer, the outcome is the same: patients' lives will be fuller with your support.

For More Information
Sharp HospiceCare offers a training session for prospective volunteers. To learn more, please call the Sharp HospiceCare Volunteer Services Department at 619-667-1900.

To find a Sharp-affiliated physician, search for San Diego doctors or call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277), Monday through Friday, 8 am to 6 pm. To find general information about hospice care, read the Home Care and Hospice News archive.