As I said I have been taking time away from the POV (and I really have been – my POV comments etc. are done on study breaks) to get ready to move into my next phase of volunteer work that I will do starting in August.
That is being a part of the Veteran-to-Veteran team in the “We Honor Veterans” project with the local hospices in my area. I thought you may like to know what that entails so here is some info.
Volunteer Programs
Many community hospice providers have implemented an innovative model for serving Veterans at the end of life – the Veteran-to-Veteran (Vet-to-Vet) Volunteer Program. The Vet-to-Vet Volunteer Program aims to pair recruited Veteran Volunteers with hospice patients who have been identified as Veterans.
Once paired with hospice patients who also have military experience, Veteran Volunteers have the unique ability to relate and connect with Veteran patients and their families.
Establishing a Veteran-to-Veteran Volunteer Program is also a criterion for hospices accomplishing We Honor Veterans (WHV) Partner Level Three.
We Honor Veterans Resources for Volunteer Programs
- No Veteran Dies Alone – Volunteer Trainer Resource Manual [PDF]
- Veteran-to-Veteran Volunteer Fact Sheet
- Veterans Issues at the End of Life [PPT]
- Hospice Veteran Volunteer Outreach and Support [PPT]
- Volunteers: An Essential Ingredient in Caring for Veterans at the EOL [PPT]
As you can see that is pretty detailed and important stuff – and that is just the project components as it pertains to the hospices themselves.
What I’m doing now is getting ready to be a general hospice volunteer and that is a large bit of studying and testing in itself. Once I finish this and get working in the hospice itself then I’ll concentrate training for and doing on the “We Honor Veterans” Vet-to-Vet work.
Of course I do nothing without other motives and for this article it is that if any other veterans out there can benefit by being on either end of the Veteran-to-Veteran project then please get in touch with me at rkohberger@gmail.com so that I may be able to help steer you in the right direction.
Thanks for reading this my friends and if I can help in any way please do let me know – especially if you know ill veterans who would benefit from this, or their family – and I’ll go out on a limb and say that every Vet will want this service provided.
pittpov.com 