Becoming a volunteer
Because of the nature of care being delivered at Children's Memorial, all volunteers are carefully screened and placed into appropriate assignments, and each volunteer must adhere to standard policies and procedures. The placement process includes a criminal background check, health and immunization screening, and an individual interview for every volunteer candidate. This process is meant to ensure the safety and well being of patients and families as well as the confidence and success of volunteers.
Depending on their availability, volunteers commit to the weekday, weekend, or evening program. The weekday program has the largest number of volunteer opportunities. If you are limited to volunteering during evenings or weekends, the process for becoming a volunteer usually takes longer because there are fewer opportunities and a large number of people who are interested in volunteering at these times.
Weekday hours
If you are available during daytime weekday hours, we ask for one half day per week at the same day and time each week within the hours of 9am and 5pm. Shift times are typically 9 am to noon or 1 pm to 4 pm. The minimum commitment is six months. Call Volunteer Resources at 773.880.4507 to arrange an appointment with the daytime coordinator. Appointments are usually made a few weeks in advance.
Evening hours
Evening volunteering at Children's Memorial is very popular, and for that reason, it may take much longer to become an evening volunteer than a weekday volunteer. Most evening assignments run from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m., and a regular weekly shift is required for a minimum of one year. The first step toward becoming an evening volunteer is to attend an informational meeting. Meetings are held two to three times per year. Please call Volunteer Resources at 773.880.4507 to get on the mailing list for the next informational meeting.
Weekend hours
Weekend hours, like evening hours (above), are very popular times to volunteer. For that reason, becoming a weekend volunteer may take several months. Weekend volunteers commit to one morning or one afternoon every other weekend for a minimum of one year. The first step toward becoming a weekend volunteer is to attend an informational meeting. Meetings are held approximately three times per year. Please call Volunteer Resources at 773.880.4507 to get on the mailing list for the next informational meeting.