Volunteer Opportunities at Hackensack Meridian Health

Providing support on various hospital units is a great way to connect with patients, their families and team members. Our unit support volunteers partner with the care team to bring comfort and care to our patients. Some examples include:

• Delivering comfort items, such as pillows, blankets, fresh water or socks
• Transporting patients to different departments or tests
• Companionship (visiting with patients, reading to them, offering a friendly presence)
• Non-clinical tasks, such as helping patients move

NOTE: Must be at least 18 years of age to participate in Unit Support.

Pets can bring a smile to our patients' faces and help them relax. Our Pet Therapy Program provides trained handlers and their dogs the chance to visit patients in their hospital rooms.

Requirements:

• All dogs must be registered through a certified organization and screened for the appropriate clearance.

Hackensack Meridian Health’s Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) is made up of community members and patients/family members who have received care at any HMH facility.

Feedback provided by the PFAC offers our leaders a patient- and family-centered perspective on how to enhance the quality of care at Hackensack Meridian Health.

Pastoral care volunteers support patients from diverse cultural, ethnic, faith, religious, and spiritual backgrounds. As a pastoral care volunteer, you will visit patients to identify spiritual needs and ensure they are connected to the resources they need throughout their stay.

You may also assist with the department's clerical needs and the Clinical Pastoral Education Program.

Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) is a comprehensive patient care program that ensures our older patients get the best possible care while in the hospital.

You can help prevent the onset of dementia in older patients through activities such as daily visits, feeding assistance, range-of-motion exercises and walking programs and therapeutic activities.

NOTE: Only available at Hackensack University Medical Center

Friendly Visitors is a patient-focused program that provides volunteers with the opportunity to help us address the social and cognitive needs of our older adult patients.

You will receive specialized training on communicating with patients using guided conversation techniques or simple activities to provide mental stimulation, companionship and delirium management.

NOTE: Only available at Jersey Shore University Medical Center

We provide comforting and compassionate end-of-life care in various settings, including the home, facilities and hospitals. As a hospice volunteer, you will work alongside the hospice team to help individuals and families affected by a life-limiting illness. Some hospice volunteer opportunities include:

• Administrative volunteers to assist with clerical duties
• Eucharistic Ministers
• Hairdressers
• Individuals who knit/crochet blankets or sew memory bear
• Multilingual people
• Musicians
• Pet therapists
• Reiki practitioners
• Veterans

All volunteers need to be at least 16-years-old. If you’re 16-17 years old, you can qualify for our junior volunteer program. Ages 18 and older can apply for all other volunteer opportunities.

We have a wide range of volunteer opportunities available at Hackensack Meridian Health. We use volunteers for bedside care, pastoral care, our hospice program and our older adult support programs. We also use pet therapy throughout the system.

You must be able to commit to a minimum of a four-hour shift per week, to get to the minimum requirement of 80 hours per year. Volunteers may complete more than the required hours.

At Hackensack Meridian Health to be a successful volunteer, you should have strong communication and people skills to effectively interact with patients, visitors, physicians, and team members. You should also be reliable and have good time management skills.