Hawaii Care Choices, provider of palliative, hospice and bereavement care in East Hawaii, is looking to add to its volunteer team and will conduct a training session in February for those members of the community interested in giving a few hours a week to uplift others.
New volunteers can choose to provide services such as companionship, giving caregivers a break, transportation, errands, cooking, music, light household chores, bereavement support, administrative support, landscaping and assisting with community events. Licensed massage therapists and hairdressers are welcome. Veterans also are encouraged to apply.
For volunteer Richard Blankenfeld, giving a few hours of his time each week sitting with patients, giving caregivers a break or answering phones is a special way to give back to the organization that took care of his daughter when she received hospice care.
When asked what he would tell someone who is thinking about volunteering, but is still unsure, Blankenfeld says, “If you are on the fence, talk to Jeanette; she really helped me. It feels good to help somebody.”
Training will include a 10-hour online course to be completed prior to meeting from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 15 for the final day of instruction.
To hear more about Blankenfeld’s volunteer journey, you can watch his video at www.hawaiicarechoices/volunteer; interested trainees should complete an online application and then call volunteer manager Jeanette Mochida at 969-1733 no later than Friday, Feb. 8, to arrange a quick mandatory pre-training interview.