Special: 

• The Bubbes to Babies program welcomes parents and their babies and toddlers to HRC. We'll match you to a resident without a family or with many residents for a small group visit.
  
• Mitzvah projects can be designed as one-time projects or as ongoing service for individuals or synagogue groups.
  
• The Family Partnership Program offers unique volunteer opportunities for family members who wish to become more involved in the care of their elderly relatives and to feel more connected to their family member's neighbors and unit staff.

Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities:

Caring Touch Volunteer
Become a part of The Hand-to-Hand Caring Touch Program.  Enjoy one-on-one interactions as you help elderly residents to relax with mini-hand rubs. You can help residents on our long-term care units to obtain the benefits of healing touch, such as deep relaxation, reduced  anxiety and stress, a release of muscle tension and pain, and a greater sense of emotional and spiritual well-being.
Requirements: Training is required and will be provided. Two-hour shifts are requested.

Meal Mates Volunteer
Are you responsible compassionate, caring and patient?  People who are afflicted with diseases ranging from Parkinson's to Alzheimer's often lose the ability to feed themselves. You can play a nurturing and critical role by assisting dependent elderly residents at mealtimes. You can provide encouragement and nourishment by giving verbal cues to eat, physically guiding residents to feed themselves, and spoon-feeding those individuals who are dependent on caregivers.
Requirements: There is a one-hour training session offered by a speech pathologist and on-the-job training with a nurse assistant.

Wheelchair Transport Volunteers
Combine exercise with a good deed! Escort wheelchair-bound residents to recreational activities in the hobby shop, concerts in the auditorium, religious services in the synagogue, and to clinical appointments throughout the facility.
Requirements:  Ability to walk throughout the building.  Onsite training will be provided for proper wheelchair transportation techniques and safety.

RUBEX Exercise Program Volunteer
Assist residents by performing a variety of tasks related to the Rubenstein Unit-Based Exercise Program (RUBEX), which uses chairs, leg weights, dumbbells and resistance bands for restorative exercises among small groups. Volunteers will help under the supervision of staff to perform any of the following: setting up equipment, transporting participants, leading the exercises, coaching residents, charting progress, and socializing with participants to encourage them. It's a great way to get exercise and help our elderly residents to stay fit. 
Requirements: Orientation by the Director of Volunteers and specific on-the-job training by RUBEX director that includes an introduction and "hands-on" training sessions.

"Memory Support" Volunteer
 "Memory Discovery Carts" are on various units throughout the facility consisting of household objects familiar to residents from their pasts; some objects provide tactile sensations (different fabrics and shapes) and some are interactive (puzzles, musical instruments.)  There are even stuffed puppies and kittens that purr and snore!  You can help residents achieve a degree of relaxation from handling familiar and comforting objects that bring back pleasant memories.

Pet Therapy Volunteer
Visit residents with your trained dogs. Your dog must be friendly and have certification as a therapy dog.  Hours and times are very flexible.
Requirements: Proof of dog training and necessary vaccinations.

Gift Cart Volunteer
Do you enjoy working with people? Do you have a background or interest in retail? If so, HRC's gift cart is the place for you. We need outgoing volunteers to visit units and sell merchandise (sundries, sweets, newspapers) from our traveling gift cart. Patrons include visitors, residents and staff.
Requirements:  Ability to push cart, make change. Available weekdays, early evenings and/or weekends.

Beauty Shop Volunteer
Assist the staff in a busy beauty shop located at our long-term care site. Call the nursing units to remind staff of resident appointments, check in people and record attendance, help to clean the shop by sweeping the floor and wiping down the counters, and transport elderly residents back to the units where they live.
Requirements: Must be physically able to push wheelchairs.

Exercise Volunteer
Assist elderly residents who are participating in the Circle of Fitness program. Help them on and off the weight-resistance equipment, spot them, coach them, count the repetitions. The motto is "You're never too old to exercise," and the 90-year-olds in the program are proof of that!
Requirements: Volunteers will receive training by staff on wheelchair transport safety and on the procedures in the "gym."

Mail Delivery Volunteer
Pick up mail cart in Central Stores and deliver incoming mail to individual residents and unit staff.  Pick up outgoing mail and deliver back to Central Stores.  This is an opportunity to interact with residents and staff throughout the facility.
Requirements: Ability to push delivery cart throughout facility.

Helping Hands Volunteer
Help out on our short-term care units by running errands throughout the hospital, delivering flowers and newspapers, filling water pitchers, and helping patients fill out menu selections.

Weekend Activity Volunteer
Provide activities to elderly long-term care residents and short-term care patients. Card games, Bingo, and board games are some examples of how you can brighten up someone's day.  We provide the games or you can bring your own.

Russian-Speaking Volunteer
Russian-speaking volunteers are needed to assist us in serving our Russian-speaking residents. You can help by visiting, reading, playing chess, engaging in other recreational activities, or assisting with exercise programs.