Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers are an integral part of our health-care system, if you are interested in giving back to your community through volunteering, Interlake-Eastern RHA has plenty of opportunities for you. Thank you for thinking about donating your time with us!
Please take your volunteer application to the community health site where you wish to volunteer.
Acute Care in Hospital Volunteering
Acute Care facilities within the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority are always looking for volunteers. Every facility has unique needs. Volunteers are an integral part of our team and work in collaboration with staff to improve health care.
As a volunteer you will be offered a regularly-scheduled weekly shift in a specific placement area. Placements are determined according to your interests, skills and availability as well as the hospital’s needs. Placements range from direct patient involvement to support positions in program and service areas.
Not only is volunteering in an Acute Care facility rewarding, it provides much needed assistance in day to day operations.
St. John’s Ambulance Dog Therapy Program
Interested in volunteering with your furry friend? We have partnered with St. John’s Ambulance Dog Therapy Program. This program takes a volunteer and their dog into hospitals on a weekly basis. Through petting, affection, and regular visitation, many people benefit both physically and emotionally from the unconditional love of a dog, while also providing the volunteer with a unique and rewarding volunteer experience. This service is currently offered at Selkirk Regional Health Centre and we are looking to expand to other facilities within the Region. Please visit St. John’s Ambulance website Therapy Dog | Become a Volunteer | St. John Ambulance (sja.ca) to learn how to become a Volunteer Dog Therapy Team.
Spiritual Health Volunteering
Spiritual Health Services in most hospitals and personal care homes in the Interlake-Eastern RHA are provided by trained volunteers supported by the Spiritual Care Coordinator.
Spiritual Health Services include:
- Someone listening with an open mind
- Paying attention to experiences of suffering
- Companionship through life’s changes and decisions
- Arranging ceremonies, sacraments, rites of the client’s choosing
- Increasing self-awareness and building inner strengths
- Kindness, compassion, respect from another human being
- Holistic care based on hope, spiritual diversity, inclusivity
- Honoring the mystery of everyday life
A 10–week Spiritual Care Education program that runs once a week covers areas such as understanding suffering and compassion, trauma and crisis, communication and spiritual development.
Please contact Ferdinand Funk, MDiv, CSCP, Regional Spiritual Care Coordinator at 204-461-3414 or [email protected] for more information.
Spirit of Caring Education Registration Form
Spiritual Health Volunteer Application Form
Palliative Care Volunteering
“I volunteer because end of life can be a very lonely and difficult time. By volunteering I can help family members by giving them a break as I sit with their loved one, providing companionship and emotional support. Sometimes just having someone to talk to can be helpful” -Marlene R. Palliative Care Companion Volunteer
Palliative Care is presently provided throughout the region in hospitals, personal care homes and in the home, by a variety of caregivers including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, home care workers, pastoral care, families, friends and volunteers. The goal is the best possible quality of life for clients and their families.
Personal Care Home Volunteering
Volunteers, and the contributions they make through volunteering significantly enhance the quality of life and leisure time opportunities for the residents living in a personal care home. Volunteer opportunities include: Recreation Assistant, Special Events Assistant, Resident Companion, Dining Companion, Gardening Assistant, Computer Assistant, Recreation Exercise Assistant, Entertainers, Pet Therapy, Pet Care Assistant and Volunteer from home.
For more information see our Personal Care Home Volunteer Program Pamphlet.
Camp Stepping Stones Volunteering
A weekend grief camp for children aged 7 to 17 who have experienced the recent death of someone significant in their lives relies on the commitment of 35 volunteers to provide a safe, supportive environment where grieving children and adolescents can feel free to share their thoughts and feelings with peers.
To find out more about volunteering with camp please visit our Camp Stepping Stones website.
