The delivery of hospice services has traditionally relied heavily on the skills and talents of numerous volunteers. Consequently we maintained an aggressive volunteer recruitment, training and retention program. As part of our volunteer training program we coached our candidates on The Volunteer's Bill of Rights. This statement of rights contained several points for our prospective volunteers to keep in mind as they began their volunteer service. This helped our volunteers know what they could expect of us as an organization and kept us mindful of our responsibility to them.
Volunteers have the Right to a suitable assignment and the appropriate training for the job.
Of course, rights bring with them responsibilities. Be willing to bring your best to this work. As volunteers, you have the unique opportunity to ennoble your life by bringing your heart, your sense of humor, your enthusiastic spirit and your very best efforts to your volunteer assignment. When it is no longer possible for you to bring your best to a volunteer assignment, share your feelings with your volunteer supervisor or coordinator and be willing to take a break to avoid burnout. Periodic breaks from volunteering are generally viewed as healthy stress management tools and are usually in the best interest of the volunteer and organization alike.