Our promise: an unforgettable volunteer experience for McHenry County students!

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At JourneyCare, we're going to go out on a limb and declare that we have the most meaningful, flexible volunteer opportunities for teenagers in northern Illinois. If you're looking to earn volunteer hours to fulfill National Honor Society or other school/church requirements, to strengthen your college applications, or just to give back, then you've come to the BEST place!

At JourneyCare's Barrington Hospice Center--it's not scary, we promise!--you'll have the opportunity to engage in meaningful service roles, such as:

• Hospitality Volunteer -- The Hospitality Volunteer is an extremely critical role at JourneyCare's Hospice Centers and the primary tasks are to greet and accompany guests (patients' family members and friends), answer phones and call lights, and communicate specific needs with staff and volunteers in the unit. Hospitality Volunteers also have other responsibilities like monitoring and ordering supplies, assisting with medical charts, writing condolence cards, and so on. Of paramount importance, too, is helping to manage the schedule of other volunteer roles in the unit.
• C.N.A. Assist Volunteer -- These volunteers partner very closely with Certified Nursing Assistants to care for patients at our Hospice Center, which translates to a role that has a lot of contact with patients facing end-of-life. Following infection control procedures, C.N.A. Assist volunteers will meet patients, sit with agitated patients, and assist with other care needs of patients (moving, turning, bathing) as well as needs of the family. Supporting tasks may also include ordering and assisting with meals, picking up trays, stripping and making beds, and re-stocking.
• Care Companion -- Care Companion volunteers serve in one of the most important capacities: spending time with patients and families who are visiting with us. Following infection control procedures, Care Companions will visit with patients and families and incorporate books, music, art, and games to provide comfort. They also provide tours of our Center, escort Activity Volunteers to their destination, and respond to call lights. This assignment is also responsible for cleaning and maintaining the unit's Activity Cart (containing games, art supplies) as well as stocking Nourishment Centers and tidying up the family room.
• Music Volunteer -- This is a significant role in our Centers, providing special services to our patients and families that are not part of our typical day-to-day operations. Applying their musical gifts, musicians can add to our warm, caring environment by playing an instrument in the wings of our Hospice Center. This activity offers a therapeutic atmosphere for visiting patients and families.

All of these roles are suitable for adolescents (ages 16 ) and we offer 3-hour shifts 7 days a week (7 AM-10 PM), so you can select shifts that are after school or on weekends that accomodate your extra curricular activities. Any of these opportunities look great on college applications and we're happy to write letters of recommendation for you!

Training & Getting Started: After our 4-hour orientation (Tuesday, Sept. 16 or Saturday, Oct. 18)--and depending on the role at hand--teen volunteer applicants can attend an additional 4-hour training (Tues., Oct. 7) designed to prepare CNA Assist & Care Companion volunteers. You will also have access to additional training support by way of engaging online courses.

Applicants must also get a 2-step tuberculosis (TB) test and submit to a background check.

To fill out an application to become a JourneyCare Volunteer, please visit our website: http://journeycare.org/volunteer/apply-volunteer/