Hospice of Homer is offering a volunteer training orientation on Friday, Aug. 23 at the Hospice office at 265 E. Pioneer Ave.

Homer Hospice started in 1985 with the idea of “neighbors helping neighbors,” Morgan Laffert, volunteer coordinator, said. The volunteer program is just one of the services the organization provides. They also offer a medical equipment loan program, a lending library, bereavement support and referrals.

“A lot of our volunteers come in looking for meaningful work and looking for ways to connect and to help others. We have a lot of different options for ways for people to serve,” Laffert said.

The volunteer services that Hospice provides includes a phone friends program to engage conversations with elderly community members who might need or like someone to talk to, volunteer visitors who provide nonmedical assistance to clients such as in-person visitation, respite care and meal preparation.

Volunteers can also assist with delivery of medical equipment from the lending component of the facility to clients’ homes.

Pet walking and basic pet care is also an option as well as assisting with transportation for elderly clients or delivery of grocery products or other things that clients might need.

Approximately 75 people have participated in the volunteer program so far this year. They were honored at a cookout celebration at the end of July.

In 2024, Hospice offered a new program called “Walking Each Other Home.”

“We trained 25 volunteers to become death doulas to support clients and their families through end of life, in terms of just being there as a support system for the family,” Laffert said.

Also new this year is the “Memory Keeper” program.

“This is the opportunity for a volunteer who documents and listens to the stories of clients. Legacy is a big part of end of life, and feeling like somebody is listening and documenting stories can be really beneficial for people,” Laffert said.

If community members are interested in contributing to the volunteer program, orientation packets are available at the Hospice office. To participate, volunteers must fill out paperwork online or at the Hospice office; submit fingerprints via South Peninsula Hospital, complete a tuberculosis test, provide documentation of a driver’s license and car insurance and attend the training event.

Holly Dramis, executive director for Hospice of Homer, said in an email that the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority is “supporting our volunteer program with funds to ramp up our recruiting, increase the frequency and expand the locations of new volunteer orientation to the edges of our service area.”

They are also funding dementia training series that teaches the tools of improvisation to volunteers and caregivers, she said.

Hospice of Homer will also be the local site coordinator for Anchorage’s RurAL CAP Senior Companion Program. They offer a small tax-free stipend and mileage reimbursement to volunteers over the age of 55 who are offering companionship, transportation and other support to seniors, Dramis said.

“This is a wonderfully collaborative way for us to support our volunteers and remove the financial barrier to volunteering.”