
by Rashani Rea & Kathy Douglas
Those who companion suffering daily, such as hospice nurses and volunteers, will surely appreciate this beautiful work. With 62 original art collages by Rashani Réa, five beautiful chapters by Kathy Douglas, and a foreword by Jean Watson, this exquisite book is a peaceful refuge for contemplation, inquiry, reflection and inspiration for those who traverse the joys and sorrows of nursing.
Kathy Douglas, RN, MPH-HA is a nationally recognized nurse leader, filmmaker and entrepreneur.
Rashani Réa is a prolific artist and musician, a creatrice of sanctuaries and a respected spiritual mentor.
“This is a beloved book and beyond a book. It is an evocative, poetic, ecstatic, and inspirited sacred, experiential calling. A calling to you--YES, YOU.”
— Jean Watson, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN, Living Legend (AAN)
“Those who companion suffering daily need to turn inward to metabolize what they have witnessed. This exquisite book, filled with beautiful images and poetic wise words, is the inspiration and support needed to grow a wise heart.”
— Frank Ostaseski, founder and director of the Metta Institute and author of The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully
“In this unique time of the COVID-19 pandemic, this book should be considered a tribute to the tremendous courage being displayed by nurses around the world. There is much wisdom conveyed throughout by those who have been there serving others with such grace.”
— Greg Schneider President, HVA, co-author of The Changing Face of Hospice Volunteering in Hospice and Palliative Care
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Replies
Melissa (and Janet):
I too work for a for-profit and have struggles with the same issue. Like you, Janet, I do a lot with Volunteer Match and recommend taking advantage of their FREE webinars related to how to use them best...ie catchy titles for each post, separate listings for each volunteer position, etc. I see from my spreadsheets that doing so has increased my referrals significantly over my predecessor's use of them, when all positions were lumped into one posting. (If you can benefit from their "Community Leader" offering, I think it's worth the $75 annual expense!)
Our local United Way will NOT allow postings from us as we are for-profit; I guess that is a policy determined locally as the national UW site, Volunteer Solutions, led me to believe they would. You might check to see if you have a local volunteer center using 1-800-volunteer.org, too...they may allow you to post. I have also used HealthCareVolunteer.org (even though most of our volunteer positions are "non-medical") and have gotten a handful of referrals from them; I also posted for a short time on Craigs List but made sure I noted "serious inquiries only" and "not typically appropriate for court-ordered community service."
I think the suggestion to make contact with clubs, churches, gyms, senior living communities, etc. and offer speakers is the best way to recruit, but is obviously more time consuming...some might post a flyer for you or run it in their newsletter.
Best of luck to you!
Diane,
Thank you for your suggestions also. As I told Janet, I will entertain any and all ideas. I am working on getting registered with volunteer match. I have been doing the more "traditional" methods and will not give up. How did Craigslist turn out for you? I wish you much success in the new year!
Melissa, I, too, work for a for-profit hospice company; no newspapers or radio stations will publicize my press releases...except for the ones that offer free training. They remove any text about any other topic. So, I use VolunteerMatch a LOT, and I've received many responses from there. Also, our local United Way has a volunteering site where we can post volunteer opportunities; that site has also been a great help. I spend a lot of tiime speaking at Lions and Rotary meetings, visiting senior centers and other 'clubs' and leaving our volunteer brochures. If your local radio stations do 'live remote' programs and allow people to speak on the air at no cost for about 1-2 minutes, take advantage! And if your company has a FOUNDATION, get that tax-free number; put it on your press releases. Some newspapers, tv and radio stations will publicize your press releases when they see that number. Best of luck. Jan
Jan, Thanks so much for the tips. I will be working on your ideas in my area! How long have you been in your position? Happy Holidays!
HVA frequently gets inquiries from people wishing to volunteer. We had intended to offer an automated referral service. Due to the current economic climate the automated system is on hold. However, we always refer to HVA member hospices when we receive an inquiry.
We encourage members of the forum to post opportunities in the Employment Opportunities group. You can also include recruitment of volunteers here as well. We do have members who are not affiliated with a hospice and may wish to volunteer in the future.
If your hospice is a member of the Hospice Volunteer Association, you can offer prospective volunteers free memberships in your recruiting ads, which can help attract new volunteers. HVA has great educational resources that you can offer new volunteers such as our very popular Hospice Volunteer News magazine.
Greg Schneider
HCF Creator
President, HVA