At Hospice of the Northwest, volunteers are more than just helpers—they are an essential part of our care team. Whether sitting with patients to offer comfort and companionship or supporting administrative tasks behind the scenes, volunteers bring warmth and compassion to everything they do.

In 2024 alone, our dedicated volunteers made a profound difference by:

• Visiting patients in person nearly 800 times
• Making over 5,000 calls to patients and families
• Providing 14.6% of all patient care hours (far exceeding Medicare’s 5% requirement)
• Saving Hospice of the Northwest more than $245,000 in labor costs

Beyond these numbers, the heart of volunteer work lies in the compassionate connections they build. Volunteers play a wide variety of key roles in hospice care by:  

• Visiting patients and families to offer companionship and respite
• Making weekly phone calls to ensure patients have what they need for the weekend
• Sitting vigil with patients and their loved ones in the final hours of life
• Providing in-home pet care and assisting with re-homing agreements
• Supporting fellow Veterans through peer connections and pinning ceremonies

Volunteers remind us that hospice care is not just about medical support—it’s about human connection. During National Volunteer Month, we celebrate the patience, kindness and dedication of Hospice of the Northwest volunteers, who are a vital part of the care we provide.

To learn more about volunteering and to apply, please visit  www.HospiceNW.org/Volunteer/.