Volunteer Services
Volunteers are special people who take the time out of their schedules to help at Hospice. Since opening our doors in 2008, we have been fortunate to have volunteers work alongside our team to help provide the compassionate, collaborative, and quality end-of-life care that we commit to our community.
When volunteering at ARCH, you have the chance to provide the greatest gift to someone during their end-of-life journey. We provide you with the proper training and education so you feel confident when sharing your time with others.
I am here to help!
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Volunteer Opportunities - Direct Volunteer RolesPalliative Complementary Therapy Grief and Bereavement
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Volunteer Opportunities - Indirect Volunteer RolesReception Maintenance Housekeeping Gardening/Landscaping Kitchen Office Fund Development and Events
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I recently experienced a death, am I ready?Many of our volunteers are past family members or have experienced a death. We understand that giving back can help you in your grief journey and we want to make sure you are ready to immerse yourself in an environment where death occurs frequently. Please take a moment to review these questions to determine if you are ready to volunteer with us: I feel comfortable coming into ARCH I am comfortable talking about death and dying I am comfortable being around someone who is crying I am comfortable being around people I am able to talk about my loved one who died I am able to express my emotions I feel like I am ready to be a volunteer at ARCH At the end of the day, you know yourself best. If you feel like you are ready to volunteer at ARCH we would love to meet with you to see if you would be a good fit. Please let the volunteer coordinator know if you have experienced a death.
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Can any age volunteer?Yes, we acknowledge the importance of introducing volunteerism at a young age. We also support Highschool students that are wanting to obtain their high school hours through ARCH. There are some restrictions for the type of volunteering we would allow at this age. Please see the below options for Children and Youth Volunteering. Children and Youth who wish to volunteer in ARCH will be set up through our Family Volunteering program: The family unit must include one adult (over 19 years of age) who is currently a registered and active volunteer at ARCH. The registered volunteer will accept responsibility for the family participants and adhere to ARCH’s policies and procedures. Non-registered adult volunteers (over the age of 19 years) will be required to have a current Police Records Check and signed confidentiality agreement. Highschool Students: Must be at least 16 years old. Their volunteer hours will be directed to the Events and Fundraising program when at all possible. This means they will be given the opportunity to help out at the upcoming events that would be appropriate for their age. (Please see our events page for more details) Youth volunteers will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement. Youth younger than 16 years must be accompanied by an adult during these events.
Frequently Asked Questions
"I volunteer at ARCH because it is such an important aspect of people's end of life care. The people at ARCH are some of the nicest, gentlest, kindest people I have ever met and am proud to be a part of this caring team."
Hospice Hero & June Callwood Circle of Outstanding Volunteers
Each year ARCH Hospice is proud to recognize exceptional individuals who make an outstanding contribution to our community. Hospice Heroes embody ARCH values and are leaders who inspire positive change. The recipient of the Hospice Hero Volunteer award will also be nominated for the June Callwood Circle of Outstanding Volunteers award and invited to attend the HPCO conference award ceremony in Richmond Hill.
2024 Volunteer Hospice Hero
Joan Marshall
Joan Marshall, our cherished reception volunteer of nearly 15 years, embodied the profound wisdom of Audrey Hepburn's words: "As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands — one for helping yourself, the other for helping others." Right up until her final days, Joan dedicated her time to ARCH as a volunteer, planning to retire in April after she reached her 15-year anniversary. Joan had a magical way of putting a smile on our faces when she came into ARCH. She always welcomed everyone through the doors with a smile on her face. Whether the visitors were family members, community clients, staff, or other volunteers, she treated each individual equally and with respect. She always took her volunteer role very seriously and loved being a part of our dynamic team. We are beyond proud to honour Joan this year as our Volunteer Hospice Hero. Joan embodied the beauty of volunteerism by giving her time to many local organizations including ARCH Hospice. We were so lucky that we had her as a volunteer with us at Hospice. She will be missed, however, her legacy and passion for volunteering will continue to live on in us all.
What is the June Callwood Circle of Outstanding Volunteers?
The June Callwood Award was established in 1994 by the Hospice Association of Ontario, now Hospice Palliative Care Ontario, to acknowledge and thank outstanding hospice volunteers throughout Ontario. The award was named in honour of the late June Callwood, the Award Patron, and long time advocate of hospice, community activist, author and recipient of the Order of Canada. June was the inaugural recipient of of award since then, 855 hospice volunteers have been inducted into the Circle of Outstanding Volunteers. Volunteers are special people – a view strongly held by Ms. Callwood and expressed by her on many occasions, during interviews on TV and radio, remarks at annual conferences, and through her writing. Her book, Twelve Weeks in Spring, captured the spirit of hospice and emphasized the importance of the many and varied contributions of a team of volunteers. In all her years as a journalist, author, broadcaster and humanitarian, June Callwood’s name became synonymous with integrity, talent and passion for social justice. She has touched the lives of generations of Canadians by giving that passion expression through her words and through her work in the service of those in need.