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Become a Hospice Volunteer

From our beginnings in 1977, volunteers have always been an essential part of Hospice East Bay. Today, we have over 350 volunteers who are essential members of our care and support teams.
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Online Volunteer Application

Many Ways To Volunteer

Patient & Family Support

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Volunteer Services for Veterans

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Bereavement Volunteers

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Pet Pal Volunteers

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Fundraising Volunteers

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Administrative Volunteers

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Massage Volunteers

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Thrift Shoppe Volunteers

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Hair Care Volunteers

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Even More ways to volunteer

Bilingual Volunteers can make a huge difference in the lives of hospice patients and their families who speak a language other than English. We currently are seeking volunteers who are conversant in Spanish, Mandarin, or Farsi, and able to carry on conversations using basic vocabulary words and simple phrases. If you would like to use your bilingual skills to bring comfort to hospice families, please let us know!

Vigil Volunteers work at the bedside of actively dying patients. These specifically trained volunteers help Hospice East Bay support its patients every step of the way by bringing relief to family members who are unable to be present for the death of their loved one. And, most importantly, they help to ensure patients that they are not alone. You can learn more about Vigil Volunteering here.

Bilingual Volunteers can make a huge difference in the lives of hospice patients and their families who speak a language other than English. We currently are seeking volunteers who are conversant in Spanish, Mandarin, or Farsi, and able to carry on conversations using basic vocabulary words and simple phrases. If you would like to use your bilingual skills to bring comfort to hospice families, please let us know!

Thrift Shoppe Volunteers work in one of our six Hospice Thrift Shoppes— Alamo, Concord, Danville, Martinez, Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek. Volunteers help by sorting, pricing, preparing and selling merchandise. Our shoppes are a significant source of income for Hospice East Bay.

Vigil Volunteers work at the bedside of actively dying patients. These specifically trained volunteers help Hospice East Bay support its patients every step of the way by bringing relief to family members who are unable to be present for the death of their loved one. And, most importantly, they help to ensure patients that they are not alone.

Event Volunteers work with Foundation staff to raise funds to support the programs and services of Hospice East Bay. This is done by planning and working at estate sales, golf tournaments, auctions, health fairs, receptions and more; depending on interest and time availability.

Community Volunteers choose to support our mission and raise funds by organizing and running their own events for the benefit of Hospice East Bay. Individuals sponsor memorial events, numerous country clubs sponsor golf tournaments, women’s clubs hold luncheons and fashion shows, and Kiwanis, Rotary and other civic and professional groups hold special functions to benefit Hospice East Bay. Friends of Hospice groups in Orinda, Rossmoor, and San Ramon Valley sponsor many activities throughout the year to raise funds.

The funds that are contributed from all of these events help to pay for services provided to patients who have no insurance, or insufficient insurance, and to cover the cost of essential services which are not covered by any insurance. This makes it possible for us to offer our services to ALL medically qualified patients, without regard for their financial status.

Massage Volunteers bring their special talents to our patients, who benefit greatly from the gentle and compassionate touch of a massage therapist. If you are a certified massage therapist, a few hours a month of your time can provide much needed comfort and relaxation to our patients.
Hair Care Volunteers can bring dignity to hospice patients at the end of life by volunteering just a few hours a month. Hairstylists with a cosmetology license can provide comfort and solace to our patients as well as their families.
Administrative Volunteers work in our Pleasant Hill office, performing a variety of tasks from entering computer data, creating mailings and making phone calls. Many of them are assigned to a specific department, working alongside staff and significantly adding to the department’s productivity.

Join Our Team

Our vision is to build a diverse workplace that is both professionally stimulating and personally satisfying—an environment of collaboration, celebration, opportunity and growth.

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All about

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As a community based organization, caring for patients and their families is what we’re all about.

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Talk to someone About Volunteering

Fill out this form and someone will be in touch with you promptly. Call to learn more today:  (925) 887-5678

Patient & Family Support Volunteers provide a wide range of assistance—from companionship for patients, to respite time for caregivers and much more. Specialized volunteers offer patients their professional skills, such as therapeutic massage, healing touch, and hair care. Although hospice regulations require that volunteers provide 5% of the amount of direct patient care hours, Hospice East Bay volunteers provide 11% of those hours.

Some patient volunteers train for our Bruns House inpatient facility. Others are on-call bedside companions who take one-time assignments to provide caregiver relief and companionship for a patient.

Note: To become a patient support volunteer, you cannot have experienced a significant death of a loved one within the previous year.

Veterans Who Are Volunteers are often paired with patients and families of veterans for support visits and caregiver relief. Our Volunteers who are veterans also take part in pinning ceremonies and events honoring patients and their families.

As a We Honor Veterans partner, Hospice East Bay conducts ongoing veteran-centered education for our staff and volunteers to help improve the care we provide to the Veterans.

The resources provided by We Honor Veterans focus on respectful inquiry, compassionate listening, and grateful acknowledgment, coupled with veteran-centric education of health care staff caring for veterans. By recognizing the unique needs of our nation’s Veterans who are facing a life-limiting illness, Hospice East Bay is better able to accompany and guide veterans and their families toward a more peaceful ending.

As of 2020 Hospice East Bay has achieved 5-star status as a We Honor Veterans partner, the highest rating offered to hospice organizations.

Bereavement Volunteers receive training about grief, loss and communication. This enables them to provide support and education for 13 months, by phone or with personal visits, to bereaved family members who have experienced the death of a loved one.

Pet Pal Volunteers and their pets have been visiting Hospice East Bay patients and their families since 2008. They go through a meticulous certification to fulfill their therapeutic roles and offer companionship, comfort and joy. Animals can often reach people when human relationships may be difficult. Scientific research has shown that interaction with animals can increase responsiveness, facilitate mental alertness and revive socialization.

Staff and volunteers at a Tree of Lights event

Fundraising & Event Volunteers play a crucial role in supporting our mission. They generously contribute their time, skills, and resources to help us organize fundraising events that benefit Hospice East Bay. 

Our dedicated volunteers actively engage in various aspects of event management, including event planning, guest registration, decoration, bartending, candlelighting, securing auction donations, and fostering corporate partnerships. 

Each role is vital in ensuring the success and enjoyment of our fundraising events. If you’re interested in exploring our fundraising volunteer opportunities further, please contact Ann Mimiaga, Fund Development Manager, at (925) 887-5678.

Administrative Volunteers work in our Pleasant Hill office, performing a variety of tasks from entering computer data, creating mailings and making phone calls. Many of them are assigned to a specific department, working alongside staff and significantly adding to the department’s productivity.

Massage Volunteers bring their special talents to our patients, who benefit greatly from the gentle and compassionate touch of a massage therapist. If you are a certified massage therapist, a few hours a month of your time can provide much needed comfort and relaxation to our patients.

Thrift Shoppe Volunteers work in one of our six Hospice Thrift Shoppes—
Alamo, Concord, Danville, Martinez, Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek. Volunteers help by sorting, pricing, preparing and selling merchandise. Our shoppes are a significant source of income for Hospice East Bay.

Hair Care Volunteers can bring dignity to hospice patients at the end of life by volunteering just a few hours a month. Hairstylists with a cosmetology license can provide comfort and solace to our patients as well as their families.

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Talk to someone about Hospice Care

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Talk to our Human Resources Team

Fill out this form and someone will be in touch with you promptly. You can also call us at (925) 887-5678 during normal business hours.

Talk to someone About Shoppe Donations

Fill out this form and someone will be in touch with you promptly. Call to learn more today:  (925) 674-9072

Talk to someone about Grief Support

Fill out this form and someone will be in touch with you promptly. Or, give us a call now to learn more: (925) 887-5678. Note: Due to privacy concerns, please do not fill out this form on behalf of someone else, or provide another person’s contact information. If you know someone in need of support, please encourage them reach out to us directly.

Talk to Someone About Volunteering

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Talk to someone from Hospice East Bay.

Fill out this form and someone will be in touch with you promptly. Call to learn more today:  (925) 887-5678

Hospice East Bay is proud to announce our agreement to join the Western Region of Chapters Health System.*

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*Pending regulatory approval, expected in 2025.