How to Join Our Volunteer Team
We do request a minimum commitment of six months of service annually. Most volunteers sign up for one or more three and one half hour shifts per week, with their minimum commitment complete after a period of approximately six months.

Please call (707) 445-8121 ext. 7530  for more information. Click here for a volunteer application.

St. Joseph Hospital Volunteer Opportunities
Most volunteers select a three and one half hour shift one day per week and serve in the following areas:

Information Desk
Situated in the hospital lobby, these volunteers provide general information and directions to all hospital visitors. They also assist the Surgical Liaison in providing information to our patient's family members after surgery.

Floor Duty
These volunteers provide Patient Care by supporting the Nursing and Nutrition Services staffs in the following ways: helping patients complete menus; providing patients with nourishment; delivering patient flowers, cards, etc; delivering doctors orders, lab specimens, pharmacy requests and charts to departments as needed; processing mailings; and completing special projects.

Gift Shop
These volunteers are responsible for the retail sales of the shop located on the SJH campus. They handle payment transactions, wrap gifts, and provide floral arrangements for delivery to patients.

Departmental support throughout the hospital
Volunteers provide non-clinical, administrative support to Radiology, Emergency Room, Dietary, Radiation Oncology, Staffing Office, Medical Staff Library, Coffee Shop, Sterile Processing Department, Materials Department, and Risk Management Department.

Spiritual Health Services Volunteer Chaplains
These volunteers provide non-denominational support to patients as requested. After completing an in-depth eight week course that prepares them for the position of Chaplain, they select a two hour block of time one day a week to visit with patients. These volunteers are trained to support patients and families through the grief process and to provide active listening, emotional, and spiritual support.

Hospital-wide tours for school children
Volunteers support the efforts of staff who provide tours for students from throughout the community.

Vial of Life Community Program
A volunteer committee ensures that vials are placed throughout the community in convenient locations and that they remain adequately stocked. These vials include a Health Information form which could save valuable time for paramedics trying to determine a patient's prior medical history (including allergies and medications).

"Baby Track" Immunization Program
Volunteers track the immunization history of infants born at St. Joseph Hospital and in a program sponsored by the Public Health Department, encourage new parents to keep the immunizations current.

Student Volunteers (high school students, aged 14-18)
Community high school students are given opportunities to support various departments throughout the hospital. The requested commitment is one afternoon per week (a three - four hour shift) through the academic year. They receive community service hours towards high school graduation requirements for the service they provide.

Evergreen Lodge
The Evergreen Lodge provides "a home away from home" for cancer patients from Santa Rosa, California to Medford, Oregon, and remains the only facility of this type on the North Coast. Offering more than just a place for these patients to stay, the volunteers reach out to provide small comforts that help in keeping their spirits up.

Mended Hearts
Affiliated with the American Heart Association, Mended Hearts is a national nonprofit organization, which started in 1951. The organization provides peer support and education to patients and their families before and after heart surgery. Mended Hearts Chapter 46 in Humboldt County was constituted in November 1996 under the auspices of St. Joseph Hospital and the local Heart Association. The organization provides an accredited visitation program. Today there are 19 members in the local chapter. The chapter meets monthly on the second Wednesday of every month, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at St. Joseph Hospital. Anyone may attend the meetings. Often there will be guest speakers talking about various aspects of heart disease, healthy eating habits, benefits of exercise and stress reduction techniques.

Shuttle Service
Provide patients with transportation to and from the hospital and Evergreen Lodge. They also provide transportation for all the employees and visitors from the parking lot to the hospital as well as between campuses.

Baby Hats
Over 50 hats are crocheted or knitted each month for all the newborns at St. Joseph Hospital.

Heart Pillows and Surgery Pillows
Soft, cushy pillows are hand made monthly for all Heart and Surgery patients to help comfort them while in the hospital and while recovering at home.

Recycling
One of the many fund-raising activities that the volunteers manage at both campuses while also helping to maintain the beauty of our environment.

Canine Candy Striper Program
Dog and handler teams are coordinated to enhance our patients' healing environment while also providing them with the benefits of human-animal interaction. The team's performance is reviewed annually to ensure patient safety and that the dogs are well trained and can appropriately behave.

Community Volunteer Opportunities and Partnerships

Community Resource Centers in Rio Dell, Blue Lake, Eureka, Fortuna Loleta & Willow Creek
Provide assistance to the Community Resource Center Coordinators by performing general office duties or other projects as directed. These individuals play an important role in serving our community's most needy residents including the homeless.