We need you
Healthcare volunteers can be the first faces a patient or family member sees when they arrive at the hospital, and their smiles provide welcome reassurance when it is needed the most.
At Spartanburg Regional, our volunteers are individuals, ages 18 and up, who provide invaluable assistance to our staff, patients and visitors. Every facility has many areas that depend on volunteer assistance including flower delivery, the gift shop, greeting visitors and much, much more.
Locations
How to get started
To volunteer with us, we respectfully ask that you devote an average of four hours a week or at least 75 hours a year. All volunteers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and be at least 18 years of age.
To get started, fill out our online application. When your application is received, we will complete a State Law Enforcement Division criminal background check and share information with you about onboarding requirements that must be completed before beginning as a volunteer. The onboarding process typically takes about one month. We want you to feel fully prepared for your exciting new role.
Groups and Donations
Cheer Cart Supplies
At our campuses, volunteers bring carts filled with supplies around for patients to take what they need. We have an ongoing need for the following supplies:
- New travel-size toiletries
- Adult coloring books
- Pocket magnifiers
- Phone chargers
- Colored pencils
- Word searches
- Puzzle books
- Assorted cotton clothing
- New combs/brushes
- Religious books
- New shower shoes/sandals
- Literature/fiction
- Magazines
Volunteering To-Go
Community members who want to help but cannot commit to in-person volunteering can participate in our Volunteering To-Go program.
SRHS does not currently allow community groups or single "days of service" inside our facilities. However, Volunteering to Go is for groups and individuals who want to contribute by donating items to Spartanburg Regional through individual contributions or group service projects.
Suggested donation items include (items must be new):
- Non-slip slide-type sandals or slippers (men's 10-12 and women's 7-10 are the most common sizes)
- Sweatshirts and sweatpants for patients who have nothing to wear when discharged home
- Socks and underwear (toddler through adult sizes)
- Infant anti-scratch mittens
- Chemo care kits (assembled kits in basket or bag containing lip balm, unscented lotion, soft hat, lozenges, ginger candy, puzzle book, hair ties, fuzzy socks)
- Antepartum care kits (assembled kits in baskets or bags containing lip balm, cloth headbands, travel toiletries, puzzle book, hair ties, fuzzy socks)
- Unexpected stay care kits (assembled kits in basket or bag containing travel toiletries, toothbrush/paste, socks, deodorant, soap, shampoo)
- Handmade port pillows (pattern available at createtodonate.org)
- Feminine hygiene items
- Handmade or store-bought cheer cards for patients
- Handmade or store-bought thank you cards for staff
- Books – Spanish/Russian/English language puzzle books, fiction & non-fiction books, children's books
- Phone chargers
Words of Encouragement
Your kind words can lift patients’ and associates’ spirits. Letters, hand-drawn pictures, posters or cards can be donated to the volunteer services department at any of our six locations.
We are extremely grateful for the donations we receive. SRHS serves a diverse population across multiple counties in the Upstate, and the support our patients receive from our community is invaluable.
Pet Therapy Volunteers
The volunteer Pet Therapy program at SRHS began in 2012 and consists of specially trained and certified dogs that visit patients during their hospital stay.
The certified pet therapy dogs offer patients a soothing presence and provide a sense of companionship. Along with feeling less alone during a hospital visit, pet therapy can help patients and their families cope with worry and stress, because it’s hard not to smile when you see a happy face and a wagging tail!
SRHS has incorporated pet therapy, also known as animal-assisted therapy, into several of their facilities, including Spartanburg Medical Center, Spartanburg Medical Center – Mary Black Campus, Pelham Medical Center, Cherokee Medical Center and Hospice Home.
A patient’s medical provider must approve pet therapy visits, and the dogs are only allowed in specific areas of the hospital.
If you would like a pet therapy volunteer to visit you, or someone you know, during a hospital stay, ask a nurse or care provider to contact volunteer services.
Qualifications
All dogs that participate in SRHS pet therapy must complete a training and certification course that is sanctioned by an AKA-recognized pet therapy certification organization before they can apply to participate in the program.
SRHS completes a background check on each dog owner/handler, and they must submit their dog’s updated paperwork and immunization records to the hospital each year.
In-person Volunteer Benefits
Some of the ways we say "thank you" are:
- Complimentary meals in on-campus café on workdays
- Service recognition pins
- Celebrations and special events
- 20% discount in Pelham Medical Center’s Twig & Vine Gift Shop and Spartanburg Medical Center’s Corner 101 Gift Shop
- Free annual flu shot
- In-service training
- Opportunity to develop a lifelong association with hospital associates and other volunteers
Related Locations
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