Needs From: United Way of Central Minnesota Volunteer Connection

Volunteering for Coborn Cancer Center is a richly, rewarding experience. Serving the needs of our patients, their family and caregivers is both challenging and inspiring, and we're grateful that you're interested in helping out.

Your role as a volunteer is to provide more than just your time and energy-it's also to offer support, courage, solace and joy to our patients, their loved ones and our staff in your own unique way. 

We rely on our caring volunteers  in many important capacities to further our work of improving the lives of those diagnosed with cancer. As a volunteer for Coborn Cancer Center you will be contributing to something very important to our community and you will have the chance to make a difference.

If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the online Volunteer Application.

Volunteer Positions

Volunteer opportunities at Coborn Cancer Center are patient-focused. Each position plays a vital role for providing quality patient care with personal service to patients their families and caregivers. Whether their needs are directions or simply something to read while they wait, we will do everything to ensure that patients have the best experience possible.   

Infusion Center Day & Evenings

Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday | 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, Friday

Responsibilities: This volunteer position provides caring support to patients and families in treatment areas to ensure an excellent patient experience.

Healing Center Concierge

Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. or 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Responsibilities: Volunteers provide a welcoming smile, information and caring support to guests visiting Coborn Healing Center, a 100% philanthropy-funded connection place for survivorship services that truly enhance our patients' lives throughout their cancer journey. The Coborn Healing Center will be built adjacent to Coborn Cancer Center and is expected to be fully operational by mid-2018.

Animal-Assisted Therapy

Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday - Friday

Responsibilities: These specially trained Pet Partners volunteers and their handlers provide both psychological and physiological benefits in the patient experience. These types of therapies facilitate changing routine clinical environments into a warmer, friendlier and more comfortable environment for patients and their families or caregivers.

Musicians

Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Monday - Friday

Responsibilities: Provide soothing comforting music in our waiting / reception areas to facilitate a less clinical and more comfortable environment for patients, families, caregivers, and staff.

Office Support

Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday - Friday

Responsibilities: Provide flexible day to day support with assembly of special projects, filing, data entry, mailings, and maintaining patient support supplies. Good communication and basic computer skills preferred.

Location: CentraCare Health Plaza | 1900 CentraCare Circle | St. Cloud, MN 56303 | 320-255-5638 or 320-229-5199 ext. 70857

Volunteers provide a friendly caring walking escort or wheelchair transport for patients and guests throughout the facility. Volunteers work as a team to complete errands and deliver flowers, mail and packages to patients at St. Cloud Hospital. Enhance a positive patient care environment to provide a superior patient experience.

Project H.E.A.L. (Health, Education, Access, Link) is an outreach program of CentraCare Family Health Center. Project H.E.A.L. offers free health screenings and basic care at various Central Minnesota locations for those who have little or no insurance.

The goal of Project H.E.A.L. is to overcome the barriers to health care for the under-served population of Central Minnesota — barriers of transportation, inadequate or lack of insurance, financial resources for co-payments and medications, language and culture.

Locations

Partners

The partners for Project H.E.A.L. include local congregations, Place of Hope, Catholic Charities, Salvation Army, Central Minnesota Parish Nurse Program, CentraCare Family Health Center, St. Cloud Hospital, St. Cloud Legal Services, Stearns-Benton Medical Society.

Supporters

•Individual benefactors to the Project H.E.A.L. fund at the CentraCare Foundation

Contact us for more information or to volunteer for Project H.E.A.L.

Julia Gordon, Community Resource Liaison - Coordinated Care Services 320-251-2700, ext. 53630.

No One Dies Alone (NODA) volunteers will provide a healing presence to the patients and community of St. Cloud Hospital by providing a reassuring presence at the bedside of a dying patient who would otherwise be alone.

Volunteers are needed to assist with transporting equipment and paperwork between Medical Alert Service and subscriber's home. Mileage is reimbursed.

Medical Alert Service – Personal Emergency Response System
St. Cloud Hospital offers a personal emergency response system which puts a call for help right at a person’s fingertips. In a home emergency, Medical Alert Service users push a small, portable button, usually worn on a necklace, wrist or clipped to a belt. The button signals a call center where trained professionals call the Medical Alert Service user to see if the type of help needed can be determined over the phone. If there is no response, the staff person will then call a neighbor or relative on the responder list to check on the user. Service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Volunteer!

Assist the Medical Alert Service department with transporting equipment and paperwork between Medical Alert Service and subscriber’s home.  Volunteer will not enter subscriber's home.  Training and mileage reimbursement provided.  Seeking volunteers in St. Cloud, Albany, Becker, Monticello, Long Prairie, Mora and surrounding communities.  This is a 2-4 hour weekly commitment with flexible scheduling.

CentraCare Hospice is seeking men and women who are interested in volunteering to provide emotional support and practical assistance to those facing end of life. Hospice volunteers are needed in communities across central Minnesota, and bring joy and comfort to those they serve. We offer flexible training options to fit your busy schedules. Please consider making a difference in your community. 

Make a difference by:

If you are a person who has the compassion and desire to serve the dying by helping them live their final weeks and months to the fullest, please contact Volunteer Specialist, Sherry Rausch at 320-240-3276, sherry.rausch@centracare.com.

A Hospice Story

Do you and your pet want to brighten the days of patients?

Join our Hospice Animal-Assisted Therapy volunteer team!

Animal-Assisted Therapy volunteer teams will brighten a patient's day through visiting to enhance social interaction, provide companionship and comfort care to patients, family and caregivers. 

Animal-Assisted Therapy Teams must be registered with Pet Partners and become St. Cloud Hospital volunteers which includes completing the hospital screening, orientation and training requirements before serving at our facility.

Note: Potential applicants are ONLY required to take classes required by www.petpartners.org.

CentraCare – St. Cloud Hospital is seeking outgoing individuals that enjoying visiting and interacting with others to join our Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP). HELP volunteers visit with patients and provide cognitive stimulation via conversation, reading materials, games, and other items or activities. Volunteers along with staff work together to provide regular assessment, supportive visits and recreation and exercise opportunities for seniors at risk of delirium and other cognitive or physical difficulties.

HELP volunteer shifts are available Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 1-4 p.m., 4-7 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 1-4 p.m., 4-7 p.m.

Apply to become a volunteer today!

Volunteer Benefits

Learn more about our volunteer program and apply at https://www.centracare.com/volunteer/

Email: Volunteer@centracare.com

Phone: 320-255-5638

We are seeking Level 2 or above Healing Touch Practitioners who are interested in volunteering their time, talent and compassion to patients in the hospital for several hours each month. (We ask for a minimum commitment of 4 hours/month.) Healing Touch is an energy based therapy in which practitioners use their hands in a heart-centered and intentional way to support and facilitate a person’s physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being. The practitioner uses gentle, lightly or near-body touch to clear, balance energize and support the human energy system in an effort to promote healing for the whole person; mind, body, spirit. The goal is to restore harmony and balance in the body by creating an optimal environment for self healing.

This could be a lifelong investment and a wonderful opportunity for someone to learn skills that will benefit themselves, their families and the community. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact the Volunteer Office at Volunteer@centracare.com or 320-255-5638.

We are seeking volunteers to assist with day-to-day operations and sales in the Gift Gallery.

All proceeds benefit the St. Cloud Hospital Volunteer Auxiliary funded programs. The Gift Gallery is an excellent place to shop for gifts for all occasions. We offer a plentiful selection of plush animals, flowers, plants, balloons, greeting cards, jewelry, seasonal items, and much more. Staffed by welcoming and gracious volunteers, you will always find a friendly and helpful voice.

We offer discounts on merchandise for Gift Gallery volunteers.

Locations include: St. Cloud Hospital, CentraCare Plaza, St. Benedict's Community, CentraCare - Monticello,  CentraCare - Long Prairie, and CentraCare - Paynesville.

St. Cloud Hospital Volunteer Services is seeking donations of fleece to make LUV Blankets. LUV Blankets are given to child and adolescent patients in the Emergency Trauma Center to provide warmth and comfort. Minimum fabric size accepted is 36" by 30". Bright colors and child appropriate patterns for a hospital setting are appreciated.  Fabric can be dropped off at the St. Cloud Hospital Volunteer Office located near Lakes elevator and Riverfront Dining on Level A. For more information, contact the Volunteer Office 320-255-5638.

Volunteers assist in bringing the sacraments of Holy Communion to Catholic patients at St. Cloud Hospital.

Your assistance is needed to provide support to patients and their loved ones within the Emergency Trauma Center at St. Cloud Hospital.

Volunteers will offer a listening ear while providing comfort and support to patients and their loved ones when professional care is not required. Volunteers help to ensure patients are comfortable by offering comfort-makers such as a blanket, pillow, ice water, coloring books, etc. 

Volunteers assist staff by transporting patients, providing wayfinding assistance to loved ones, restocking supplies and help with clerical tasks as directed. 

Volunteer must feel comfortable with persons in crisis and have excellent customer service skills. 

Volunteer shifts are available Sun-Sat 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 3-7 p.m., 7-11 p.m.

We need you to help provide a superior patient experience by visiting with discharging patients while they wait for their loved one to arrive. 

Volunteers will greet and interact with discharging patients as well as all who enter the facility. Volunteers may need to provide a wheelchair escort to an awaiting vehicle just outside of the entrance however, volunteers are not responsible for assisting patients into vehicles.

Volunteers should be comfortable interacting with others and able to interact and communicate in English clearly and effectively. 

Volunteers are asked to commit to one shift weekly. Volunteers are needed Monday-Friday 12-4 p.m.

The Volunteer Auxiliary is accepting donations of new clothing for the Dignity Closet at St. Cloud Hospital. Items needed include unisex sweatpants and sweatshirts, t-shirts, socks and underwear of all sizes.

The Dignity Closet provides clothing to patients who enter the hospital under difficult circumstances or whose clothing was cut off when they were admitted to the hospital. Our ability to stock this closet allows us to meet the needs of the unfortunate people at a very desperate time in their lives. Donations can be dropped off in the Volunteer Office.

If you have any questions, please contact the Volunteer Office at 320- 255-5638

Healing Center Concierge

Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. or 12:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Responsibilities: Volunteers provide a welcoming smile, information and caring support to guests visiting Coborn Healing Center, a 100% philanthropy-funded connection place for survivorship services that truly enhance our patients' lives throughout their cancer journey. The Coborn Healing Center will be built adjacent to Coborn Cancer Center and is expected to be fully operational by mid-2018.

Volunteering for Coborn Healing Center is a richly, rewarding experience. Serving the needs of our patients, their family and caregivers is both challenging and inspiring, and we're grateful that you're interested in helping out.

Your role as a volunteer is to provide more than just your time and energy-it's also to offer support, courage, solace and joy to our patients, their loved ones and our staff in your own unique way. We rely on our caring volunteers  in many important capacities to further our work of improving the lives of those diagnosed with cancer.

As a volunteer for Coborn Cancer Center or Coborn Healing Center you will be contributing to something very important to our community and you will have the chance to make a difference. If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the online Volunteer Application.

Location: CentraCare Health Plaza | 1900 CentraCare Circle | St. Cloud, MN 56303 | 320-255-5638 or 320-229-5199 ext. 70857

Purpose

The Child Advocacy Center (CAC) is a multi-disciplinary response for child abuse investigations, within CentraCare. Volunteers will interact and play with children in the waiting area while their siblings are seen.

Responsibilities

- Engage children and adolescents in activities such as playing games or reading stories.

- Interact with patients and siblings as they wait for appointments.

- Greet patients and family members.

- Assist in maintaining organization of waiting area.

- Escort patients to designated areas, such as Lab and Imaging. 

- Assist with administrative and clerical tasks. 

- Assist staff as needed.

Visit centracare.com/volunteer to apply.

First of all, thank you for making these caps. I lost my hair during my chemo treatments and wore the fleece hats. I now volunteer in the Cancer Center and often help women select hats. The fleece hats are very popular. It is amazing how cold our heads get without hair! Your work will be truly appreciated.

Buy 1 & 3/4 yards to make 6 caps. If you are curious of what colors to buy, go to your closet and look at which colors and patterns would go with your clothes. In winter, many of us wear black, brown, navy, tan and blue. Prints such as small prints and checks go well with many outfits. Many women will select these colors over the bright large patterns that are often typical of fleece fabrics.

Select the softest fleece possible. Many women who have lost their hair have really tender scalps. It is best not to finish the seams. Fleece doesn’t ravel and finished seams may irritate some scalps.

Cut one 16 X 24” band for each cap and two 7 ¼” circles for each crown. The stretch should be on the 24” side. Fleece will roll to the wrong side. I found it easier to draw a 7 ¼ circle out of parchment paper to have pattern for the circle.

1) Fold the right sides together to make the side band that measures 16 X 12” on each side.

2) Stitch the side with 1/4“seam allowance. Press seam open.

3) Wrong sides together, bring one end of each band through the tube and match seam and raw edges. The band is now 8” x 11 3/4” on each side.

4) Mark each side and then again in half so that you have quarter marks for the raw edges. Pins with colored ball heads work great for quarter marks.

5) Lay the two circles together wrong sides together for the crown. Pin them together and mark each half and then again so that each quarter is marked.

6) Pin the raw edges of the band and the circles together matching the quarter marks to ease in the fabric.

7) Stitch the band to the crown. I found it easier to stitch on the band side rather than inside the circle. It is fine to use regular straight stitch as this stitching doesn’t need to stretch. Trim off extra threads.

You can embellish the hats with buttons & bows, but make sure that stitching will not be on the part that touches the scalp. Soft flat decorations are best. Many will take naps or sleep in these caps.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me at Linda Kmitch (320-255-9292) or lindakmitch@gmail.com. Again, thank you so much for making the caps. They are so appreciated. The caps should be brought to the Cancer Center at CentraCare Health Plaza. Contact Alison Dahlin, at 320-229-5199, ext. 70857 or dahlina@centracare.com to make arrangements.

Learn about more Ways to Give In-Kind To Support Cancer Patients & Ideas for Cancer Treatment Care Packages

Do you and your pet want to brighten the days of patients?

Join our Animal-Assisted Therapy volunteer team at St. Cloud Hospital, Coborn Cancer Center or Hospice!

Animal-Assisted Therapy volunteer teams will brighten a patient's day through visiting to enhance social interaction, provide companionship and comfort care to patients, family and caregivers. Animal-Assisted Therapy volunteers serve at St. Cloud Hospital, Coborn Cancer Center and CentraCare Hospice.

Animal-Assisted Therapy Teams must be registered with Pet Partners and become St. Cloud Hospital volunteers which includes completing the hospital screening, orientation and training requirements before serving at our facility.

Note: Potential applicants are ONLY required to take classes required by www.petpartners.org.