Volunteer Opportunity: Spiritual Caregiving Volunteer, Somerville, MA
Spiritual Caregiving Program at the Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) is the Boston area’s aging information and services center. We provide a wide range of supportive services, as well as information and advice, to help elders and younger people living with disabilities to remain safe and independent in their own homes. Our Spiritual Caregiving Program is one way that we help to support our clients’ quality of life.
Our program works by matching trained volunteers in one-to-one spiritual caregiving relationships with clients in need. The clients are referred to us by SCES case managers and other staff. They may be having difficulty coping with one or more life transitions, such as grief and loss, illness, loneliness, or end of life. Most of them are homebound, socially isolated, and unaffiliated with any church home or other faith community. The volunteers, trained in the special needs of people who are elderly and disabled, provide empathic listening, a non-anxious presence, prayer, and/or other spiritual support requested by the client. When possible, we match clients with volunteers from their own faith background. The volunteers do not proselytize. The Spiritual Caregiving Program is interfaith, open to volunteers of all faith backgrounds and to those who are spiritual but not religious. The key is for the volunteer to have their own spiritual practice and be open and caring to people who may be different from themselves.
We are recruiting volunteers now for the annual training that begins in mid-September and runs through mid-February. Once trained, each Spiritual Caregiving Volunteer is matched with a care receiver for weekly visits. They also attend meetings twice a month for ongoing support, supervision, and continuing education. Because there is a significant investment in training, volunteers are required to make a two year commitment, including the months spent in training. We realize that the time commitment is significant, and we highly appreciate our volunteers.
Please review the information sheet, flyer, and application. Applications should be submitted by September 7. (The flyer says August 15. Please disregard.) For more information please send Loretta an email or call the office, leaving a message if she is not in.
Loretta Saint-Louis
Spiritual Caregiving Coordinator
Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services
61 Medford St
Somerville, MA 02143
617-628-2601 x3173
lsaint-louis@eldercare.org