Volunteer and Get Involved!

Our Valuable Volunteers
Volunteers are the lifeblood of Hospice of Central Iowa.  In fact, there are four times as many volunteers as there are Hospice of Central Iowa employees.  What makes them so important?  Our volunteers are very valuable to patients because they often spend quality one-on-one time with them.

Volunteers carry out a multitude of tasks every day, including:

• Caring for patients in their homes and in nursing care facilities
• Sitting with patients while family steps out
• Assisting with homemaking duties
• Running errands 
• Transporting patients to appointments
• Assisting with administrative tasks at Hospice of Central Iowa offices

Volunteers also bring their own talents to the table.  Many:

• Greet visitors to the Kavanagh Houses
• Provide ongoing bereavement support to families
• Assist with support groups
• Bring baked goods to patients and families
• Help care for the grounds at the Kavanagh Houses
• Deliver presentations to community groups
• Create sensory quilts (shown right) for patients with dementia

Becoming a Volunteer
Hospice of Central Iowa offers a comprehensive volunteer orientation for each volunteer job in the organization.  Individuals also learn about:

• The hospice philosophy
• End-of-life care issues
• Confidentiality
• Proper documentation
• Physical, emotional and spiritual care of the dying
• Taking care of patients and families on the end-of-life journey

If you would like to learn more about becoming a volunteer, contact one of the Hospice of Central Iowa locations listed below, or check the Hospice of Central Iowa Calendar for volunteer training dates throughout our service area. 

Hospice of Central Iowa Locations:
Des Moines area - (515) 271-1304
Boone - (515) 432-4060
Bright Kavanagh House - (515) 333-4552
Centerville - (641) 856-5502
HCI Giving Tree Thrift Store
Kavanagh Houses - (515) 255-0857
Knoxville - (641) 842-4312
Mount Ayr - (641) 464-2088
Mount Pleasant - (319) 385-4472
Osceola - (641) 342-2888
Perry - (515) 465-4705

New Volunteer Opportunity
We have an exciting volunteer opportunity at our new thrift store, HCI Giving Tree. We need enthusiastic volunteers to work the cash register, assist customers, set up displays, sort donations and more. If you are interested, e-mail us at volunteer@hospiceofcentraliowa.org!

Let’s Talk About Living and Dying
We all love to share the stories of our lives.  So why are we so afraid to discuss the final chapter?

Hospice of Central Iowa wants to change the way we talk about death.  If you are interested in hosting one of our speakers versed in end-of-life issues at your group event, please click here.