Volunteer | VNA Hospice NWI

Volunteers Make Best Days Possible

At VNA Hospice of Northwest Indiana, our volunteers are an integral part of our team, assisting in many of the day-to-day activities to help make best days possible for our patients and families. From delivering VNA Meals on Wheels, visiting with home-bound patients, administrative tasks, providing grief support to both adults and children, to helping with fundraising events, baking, and blanket making, volunteers make a huge impact on the lives of those served by the VNA. Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older.

To indicate your interest, fill out this form and a volunteer coordinator will reach out to you.

Questions? Call (219) 462-5195 or email volunteerinfo@vnanwi.org.

Have questions or want more information?

Hospice Volunteer Opportunities

Home Patient Volunteers

Home hospice volunteers visit our hospice and/or palliative care patients wherever they call home. Whether it’s a private residence, assisted living or skilled nursing facility, home hospice volunteers provide companionship to the patient. Volunteer duties may include conversation, reading to patients, listening to music, watching a movie, or making a small snack. Visits are typically limited to 2 hours or less.
Hospice Center Volunteers

Hospice Center Volunteers visit patients at the VNA Arthur B. and Ethel V. Horton Hospice Center in Valparaiso, to provide companionship and assistance to the patients and/or families during their stay. Volunteer duties may include visiting patients and families, welcoming visitors to the Hospice Center, answering phones, and other clerical duties.
Office Volunteers

Office or Administrative Volunteers are needed to provide coverage at the main reception desk and office or clerical related tasks such as copying, filing, binder making, preparing mailings, stuffing brochures, etc. Scheduling is flexible during normal business hours based on your availability, in addition to separately scheduled hours for large projects.
We Honor Veterans Volunteers

As a partner in the national, We Honor Veterans Program, we recognize the unique needs of our Veterans and their families. Through compassionate understanding, we guide Veterans through their life stories to a more peaceful ending. The VNA We Honor Veterans program offers honoring and pinning ceremonies, trainings on Veterans issues, special Veteran recognition and resource events, Veteran-to-Veterans cafes and individual companionship visits, and connections to Veteran specific resources. Veteran volunteers are highly needed but being a Veteran is not required to serve our Veterans patients.
Bereavement Support Volunteers

Bereavement support volunteers assist with the 13-month bereavement program offered to families and community members following the loss of their loved one. Bereavement support volunteers are needed to assist with activities and events, such as memorial events, preparing rooms, materials and food for support group meetings, special projects and making follow up calls to bereaved family members. Specialized training is provided.
Pet Therapy Volunteers

The VNA pet therapy program is looking for licensed Pet Therapy dogs and their human companions who want to visit with hospice and/or palliative care patients in their private homes, at assisted living and skilled nursing facilities, or at the VNA Horton Hospice Center.
Teen Volunteers

Teen volunteers will work with patients in both hospice and palliative care to complete legacy projects of the patient’s choosing to leave behind for their loved ones. The projects could include a cookbook, video, compilation of letters or stories, audio clips, and more. Teen volunteers must be 16 years of age or older and parental consent is required. Teens will have to complete inkless fingerprinting, background checks, TB tests, and in person and online training.
Baking Volunteers

Do you LOVE to bake? Help bake for VNA Hospice! Our baking volunteers help provide homemade goodies for families at the hospice center, memorial services, bereavement support groups, and various events throughout the year. Let us know if you’d like to help and we’ll give you the details on when our next event is!

Community Volunteer Opportunities

Medical Guardian Help Button Volunteers

Medical Guardian volunteers assist with delivering, setting up and collecting Medical Guardian Help Buttons. Training is provided and this is a great opportunity for someone who wishes to give back but is unable to make a large time commitment. Volunteers are contacted and scheduled on an as-needed basis. Additional hours to assist with projects are also available.
Phoenix Center for Grief Volunteers

The Phoenix Rising Program is a one of kind grief support program for children, teens, young adults, and their families. This program is offered free of charge to those in need of grief support, so we rely heavily on the participation of volunteers to facilitate the bi-weekly meetings. A specialized in-person training program is required.

Bereavement support volunteers are needed to assist with activities and events, such as memorial events, preparing rooms, materials and food for support group meetings, special projects and making follow up calls to bereaved family members. Specialized training is provided.
VNA Meals on Wheels Volunteers

VNA Meals on Wheels delivers over 250 hot lunches with a wellness check on weekdays throughout Porter County. Volunteers are needed to complete approximately 26 meal delivery routes on weekdays. Routes take approximately an hour to complete. A background check, valid driver’s license and reliable transportation is required. Training is provided.