CARIS Legacy Project Hospice Volunteer

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DONATE YOUR TIME & TALENT
BEING CREATIVE & USING YOUR SKILLS
TO KEEP FAMILIES CONNECTED

Our office covers: Cannon, Rutherford & Wilson counties.

In a legacy project, a hospice volunteer helps a patient craft something meaningful and memorable through crafts, music, art, writing or other creative processes. The completed item serves as a reminder of the person, what they loved, and what was important to them. No matter what form legacy takes, be assured it will be a timeless extension of oneself, that a family and friends will cherish forever.

Examples of how you can create a legacy project WITH the patient:

• Assist in writing or write down a first-person account of the most significant events and lessons learned during their lives.
• Help finish a good-bye letter to their families and friends
• Take picture of the patient and their loved ones
• Recording of a special song that incorporates the sound of the patient’s heartbeat
• Videotape a patient sharing stories they want to pass down. This will capture their mannerisms and voice so the family can always have a record of their loved one
• Assist in completing an "unfinished project" to pass along for others to cherish
• Writing a letter or buying a gift for someone to open at a future life event like a graduation, birthday or wedding.
• Collect fingerprints or hand print in plaster plaque

Examples of how you can create a legacy project for the families:

• Make special legacy gift from a loved ones clothes for a family member. Ex. teddy bear, ornament or pillow out of a favorite shirt or sweater.
• Put together a scrapbook or photo album for others to enjoy
• Create a picture slide show
• Design a collage of decorative jewelry as a piece of art
• Compile a binder, book or box of a patient's favorite recipes
• Make a shadow box for a patient's favorite collectibles
• Build a frame to display a treasured painting
• Create a quilt from favorite clothing or fabric items
• Compile a collection of favorite songs or hymns
• Plant a tree or re-plant cuttings of the patient's loved plants to distribute to loved ones
• Organize a collection of paintings or artwork for the family
• Write a poem about the loved one from stories they share or your time visiting with the patient

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Snapshot overview of the process of making a legacy project:

• Meet/Speak with Volunteer Coordinator, go over options and requested pending projects
• Meet w family, if needed
• Be presented with the overall project vision or idea, discuss what your thoughts & capabilities are to execute the project
• Receive the patient's items and any available supplies
• There is no funding available from CARIS. We can work together to resource supplies and families may pay for items needed. However, your time and talent are donated.
• Agree on timeline and completion of project.
• Periodic check-ins
• Deliver finished project
• Enjoy the good feeling of creating a lasting memory for a family

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If you are not interacting with a patient, then the only requirements are:

• Contact name
• Telephone number
• E-mail address

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If you are working alongside a PATIENT, then the requirements are:

1. Volunteer Application & Background Consent Form
2. Background Check
3. TB Test Series (CARIS covers the cost) performed at Concentra
4. Orientation, average 2 hours
5. Cornerstone Training- Online training videos and resources
6. Valid Drivers License
7. Current Automobile Insurance

Overview of the Volunteer Onboarding Process:

1. Respond to this posting
2. Fill out a Volunteer Application & Background Consent Forms
3. Speak to Volunteer Coordinator/return application
4. Background check is then completed
5. Set up Orientation Training
6. TB Test #1- Visit Concentra, Monday or Tuesday for test and return for the reading later that week
7. Start on-line Cornerstone training
8. Attend Orientation- average 2 hr. training. *Share your preferences, expectations and goals for volunteering
9. TB Test #2- (2) weeks later. repeat same steps as #6
10. Match w patient, set up time to meet patient with the Volunteer Coordinator. You will set up visit schedule w patient/caregiver/Volunteer Coordinator
11. Turn in Timesheets weekly
12. Make a difference is someone's life & have a meaningful experience

Another way to start the Volunteer process:
Volunteer At Caris (office.com)

"No Act of Kindness,
No Matter How Small,
Is Ever Wasted."

-Asesop-