Hospice of Hilo looking for volunteers

Hospice of Hilo is looking for volunteers to help individuals and families live better through compassionate care.

The volunteer training sessions are 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Nov. 18; 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Nov. 20; and 8:30-12:30 p.m. Nov. 23 at Hospice of Hilo’s Community Center, 1011 Waianuenue Ave.

“I’m so very grateful for the work Hospice of Hilo volunteers do to make our community a better place to live,” said Hospice of Hilo volunteer manager Jeanette Mochida.

“They provide patient care, respite care, transportation, companionship, cooking, errands, active listening and reading, as well as office administrative support, community education and public relations. We’ve also been looking for massage therapists who are willing to serve our East Hawaii patients.”

With the 2012 opening of Hospice of Hilo’s Pohai Malama a Harry &Jeanette Weinberg Care Center, the services volunteers provide for the organization have expanded.

“It’s really great to see the variety of things our volunteers do,” said Hospice of Hilo CEO Brenda S. Ho. “Some have been coming in to tend the gardens at the care center. We even have a few amazing individuals coming in to play music for the patients and their loved ones. It’s really wonderful.

“Our volunteers are truly at the heart of what we do at Hospice of Hilo. We wouldn’t be able to do the work we do without them.”

People interested in becoming a Hospice of Hilo volunteer must sign up for the training sessions and schedule an interview time before the training.

For more information, contact Mochida at 969-1733.