Hospice Care Plus will host its first-ever Volunteer Fair on Thursday, June 23, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at its Compassionate Care Center in Richmond.

Volunteer Lydia Wilson makes supportive calls to patients and families. A Volunteer Fair on June 23 gives guests a chance to explore the volunteer roles and opportunities available at Hospice Care Plus.

Mariah Smith, volunteer coordinator at Hospice Care Plus, is organizing the event to give community members a chance to explore volunteer opportunities with the organization.

“A lot of people think about volunteering with us and have some interest, but they want to know more first. Some assume that the time commitment would be an obstacle. But we truly can work with anyone on availability and interests. This is a great way to casually visit, ask questions, and learn more. Even if you only have 20 to 30 minutes to drop in, you can learn a lot.”

Organized like a health fair, the event features multiple tables for guests to visit. Current volunteers will staff some of the tables and be available to answer questions about what it’s like to volunteer in different roles and programs.

“We’ll have volunteers there who work at our Compassionate Care Center, others who help at our Berea office or with bereavement tasks, and some who accept patient and family support assignments in our home hospice and home palliative programs,” says Mariah. “Some work directly supporting patients and families, while others help with more clerical or administrative tasks. We even have occasional remote volunteer work available.”

Give-aways, snacks, and refreshments will be available at no cost. Tours of the Compassionate Care Center will also be offered.

The staff at Hospice Care Plus hope the fair will help add more members to the volunteer pool, which took a hit during the pandemic.

“Our volunteer pool dropped by half because of COVID,” says Brenna Wallhausser, director of public relations. “Yet volunteers are crucial to our mission. Now that the incidence rate has remained low in our service area for so long, we’re seeing more people return who used to volunteer with us. The Volunteer Fair gives new volunteers—people who have never been part of our team—a chance to explore that possibility at a relaxed, fun event.”

Hospice Care Plus accepts volunteers aged 14 and up. Training is flexible and a large portion can be completed online.

To learn more about the Volunteer Fair, call Mariah Smith at 859-626-9292 or visit the event’s Facebook page.

Hospice Care Plus was founded and staffed by volunteers in Madison County in 1981. The non-profit organization now offers hospice, palliative, and bereavement care to patients and families in Estill, Jackson, Lee, Madison, Owsley and Rockcastle counties. It also owns and operates the non-profit Compassionate Care Center in Richmond. All care and services are provided regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.