Burnaby Hospice Society is a charitable organization committed to providing dignified, compassionate support to hospice patients and residents who are grieving.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering! There are so many ways to be involved with Burnaby Hospice Society!

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Volunteer

Thank you for your interest in volunteering! There are so many ways to be involved with Burnaby Hospice Society!

Burnaby Hospice Society volunteers are special people who play an integral role in our daily operations. More than 200 individuals give their valuable time and energy to support and care for members of our community.

What kind of volunteering can I do?

Palliative Volunteer

Our Palliative Volunteers provide emotional support and a compassionate presence to patients and family members either in-community, at St Michael’s,... Learn More

Bereavement Volunteer

Bereavement Volunteers offer compassion, reassurance, and support to individuals after a loved one has died. Bereavement Volunteers support our one-to-one... Learn More

Thrift Store Volunteer

Volunteers perform a range of duties at our Thrift Store, from sorting, pricing and merchandising donated goods to helping customers... Learn More

Special Event Volunteer

Throughout the year, Burnaby Hospice Society needs volunteers to help with special events Click on Event, including our annual Hike... Learn More

Fundraising, Marketing, and Communications Volunteer

We frequently require help with fundraising, marketing and communications. To learn more about please contact us at 604-520-5087 or info@burnabyhospice.org. Learn More

Board of Directors Volunteer

Our Board sets strategic direction and assumes financial and governance responsibilities. To learn more about please contact us at 604-520-5087... Learn More

Palliative Volunteer

Our Palliative Volunteers provide emotional support and a compassionate presence to patients and family members either in-community, at St Michael’s, or at the Palliative Care Unit in Burnaby Hospital.

Training to become a Palliative care volunteer will give volunteers the knowledge and skills necessary to provide compassionate support to those that are facing end of life.

This experiential course creates the space for self-reflection and will cover such topics as

  • History and philosophy of Palliative care
  • Psychosocial and medical aspects of end-of-life care
  • Communication
  • Grief and Bereavement
  • Self Care
  • Boundaries and more…..

Applicants must be at least 21 years of age.  The course fee is $125.  Completion of the course requires trainees to

* attend every session
* submit a criminal record check
* have covid vaccinations
* have an interview with a member of the p rograms team
* complete an online orientation,
* have orientation tours of both Burnaby Hospital PCCU and St. Michael’s Care Centre
* complete a minimum of two buddy shifts

Apply Now

Bereavement Volunteer

Bereavement Volunteers offer compassion, reassurance, and support to individuals after a loved one has died. Bereavement Volunteers support our one-to-one peer.

Apply Now

Thrift Store Volunteer

Volunteers perform a range of duties at our Thrift Store, from sorting, pricing and merchandising donated goods to helping customers and cashiering.

Apply Now

Special Event Volunteer

Throughout the year, Burnaby Hospice Society needs volunteers to help with special events Click on Event, including our annual Hike for Hospice.

Fundraising, Marketing, and Communications Volunteer

We frequently require help with fundraising, marketing and communications.

To learn more about please contact us at 604-520-5087 or info@burnabyhospice.org.

Board of Directors Volunteer

Our Board sets strategic direction and assumes financial and governance responsibilities.

To learn more about please contact us at 604-520-5087 or info@burnabyhospice.org.

Who are our volunteers?

I have been a Burnaby Hospice volunteer for five years and I hope to be able to be a
hospice volunteer until the day before I die. It’s important to work! I became a Burnaby Hospice Volunteer because I helped two friends die at home. These experiences made me aware of the importance of ‘being there’ with the dying.

I enter each room with openness, willingness, and peace. I sit a while, hold a hand, sing a song, massage cream into dry skin, play cards, bring a drink, and read a book out loud. But what I mostly do is listen. There are often things needing to be said and to have a listener is sometimes all it takes.

There is no burden to carry someone’s words or to bear witness to their passing. It is a privilege to witness the sharing of stories and to continue to carry them even after the person is gone.

I hope I have many volunteers around my bed when my time comes! We can exchange words, someone might bring a dog to pet, we could watch silly shows on TV and just breathe the energy of life to the end! What wonderful medicine for dying!

~ Tracy Crawford

During the year I have volunteered with Burnaby Hospice Society, I have shared a sacred space with those at the end of their life.  I offer my time to hear the stories of the lives they lived, the families they were a part of, the adventures and challenges they faced, and the fears they saw ahead.

Being of service to those at the end of their life is a humbling experience. To know and beknown is loving and compassionate.

Spending time with those in hospice is an honor and a blessing. Death is not something to be feared. The support, compassion, and companionship of volunteers make a difference in the deaths of patients in hospice care.

~ Tracy Crawford

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