The Power of Giving: Transforming Lives Through Volunteering

“How can I help?”

“What else can I do?”

Those phrases are the benchmark of the volunteers who serve Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care (PPHPC). They give their time, energy and talents to help our patients and their families. These individuals understand the hospice philosophy and embrace the importance of quality of life at the end of life.

Our volunteers are trained to meet the needs of patients and families through a variety of ways, including:

• Pet Therapy, where certified pet therapy animals are matched with patients to offer one-on-one interactions;
• Healing Touch Therapy, where trained volunteers off the physical and emotional benefits of human touch which has been shown to decrease anxiety, agitation, pain and joint stiffness;
• Aromatherapy, which provides comfort to patient and their families by using our specifically created blended oils to soothe and relax patients;
• Soothing Sounds Music, where local musicians and singers use their talent to create a joyful, calming musical environment for patients and their loved ones;
• Friends in Faith, where patients who identify with a particular faith tradition or culture may request a volunteer of the same or similar tradition or culture to share experiences;
• Veteran Outreach, which provides support to patients who have served in the military; PPHPC is a Level 5 Participant in the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organizations’ We Honor Veterans Program, the highest attainable designation;
• Vigil Volunteers, who provide comforting presence to patient actively dying at home or in a facility;
• Pampered Pillows and Busy Blankets, where volunteers use their sewing, knitting and crocheting skills to make neck and arm pillows, busy mats, lap blankets, quilts and more.

Volunteers also assist at our Inpatient Unit to provide a concierge service feel to our patients and families. They provide administrative assistance in our main office. And, they help with the organization’s major fundraising events such as Illuminations and Trees of Life, of which the Empty Stocking Fund is a sponsor of. ESF volunteers were pivotal in supporting Trees of Life by assisting  with the set-up and take-down of the event. The success of these events is a testament to the volunteers that willingly sign up to help these events run as smoothly as possible.

A donation to the Empty Stocking Fund supports all of these programs and allows us to provide extra care and support to patients and their family members in a difficult time.

Would you like to volunteer? Please call 719-633-3400, option 4, and find out how your gifts and talents can help our organization continue to serve the Pikes Peak region.

Click HERE to learn more about our partner agencies.