Memorial Home Services Hospice will offer training in February to people who are interested in serving as volunteers.

Volunteers work with patients and families in 14 counties throughout central Illinois. More than 75 individuals currently serve as volunteers for Memorial Home Services Hospice. Their work ranges from offering direct assistance to patients and their families to helping in the hospice office.

“Volunteers are a very important part of our hospice program,” said Becky Gabany, volunteer and community education coordinator with Memorial Home Services Hospice. They provide companionship, assist with errands and chores, offer support and assist with various office projects.

Prior to becoming a volunteer, individuals must complete a brief interview as well as attend a 7-hour training course. Interviews are being scheduled during January.

The training course will meet on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 720 N. Bond St., Springfield. The course offers an introduction to the hospice philosophy and general guidelines for volunteering.

“Our volunteer program is flexible, allowing each volunteer to bring their own unique talents and abilities to their work with patients,” said Ronda Dudley, director of home health and hospice at Memorial Home Services. “And our volunteers provide a great benefit to the families of our patients, also.”

Hospice support continues after the death of a loved one with grief care extended to family and friends, Dudley said. Volunteers support family and friends while they are grieving by attending funerals or memorial services, maintaining phone contact during the bereavement period and providing emotional support and companionship as well as education about the grief process, she said.

For more information about volunteer opportunities, contact Gabany at (217) 788-3870. You can also apply online at MemorialHomeServices.com/Hospice.