Needs From: Volunteer East Tennessee

This program was created by the National Alliance for Care at Home and the VA in order to give our nation's Veterans a better end of life experience.  We have opportunities to serve our Veteran patients and Veterans in the community. Through this program we honor our Veterans with certificates of appreciation and lapel pins, companion our Veteran patients, educate our staff, volunteers, and the community on Veteran issues, and participate in community Veteran organizations and events. 

Willow's Friends is a pet program that we created to help take care of patients' pets when they are no longer able to do so, either physically or mentally.  Volunteers will go in and feed, walk, play or clean up after pets or take them to Veterinary or grooming appointments.  We will even aid in the fostering or rehoming of pets either before or after the patient passes.  

This program takes one thing off of our patients' and families' plate during this difficult time. If you love animals and what to make a difference in their lives and the lives of their owners, we want to talk to you.

Imagine that you are dying, you only have a few hours left on this earth, and there is no family or friends with you. Are you scared, and feel like you don't matter? Some of our patients experience this very situation. UT Hospice has a program called Sacred Spaces that provides a loving presence during this sacred time. Sacred Spaces is a vigil program, we provide volunteers in 4 hour shifts around the clock until the patient passes. You are not there to attend to their physicals needs, except that of providing a calming, loving presence.

If you think that you could hold a hand, play soft music, read some favorite passages from a book or scripture, or just sit quitely with an individual to make their homegoing peaceful and full of love, you could be a Sacred Spaces volunteer, and we would love to talk to you.

Life is a journey, and we are needing some compassionate volunteers to help walk our patients home on their last leg of their journey.  We have opportunities for patient companionship, caregiver relief, running errands, preparing lite meals and doing lite housekeeping.  We also have opportunities in our office to do administrative tasks and with our specialized programs, such as We Honor Veterans, Pet Peace of Mind, G.I.F.T. (Grace In Final Transition) and Chart of Life.

Hospice isn't all about death and dying, we are about teaching people to live life to it's fullest in the time that they have. Hospice seeks to provide our patients and families with quality of life over quantity. With just 2 hours a week you can help provide people with friendship and dignity.