James Krupp keeps exercise in his regular routine following a heart attack.

Hospice Services

Hospice Extras

Life Review Program benefits both hospice patients and bereaved families.

Families share their experiences at St. Anthony's Fern & Russell F. de Greeff Hospice House

Hospice in the News

STLToday: Area teens find a way to work through grief

ideo | udio | ews

Volunteer Opportunities

Part of the reason St. Anthony's Hospice and the de Greeff Hospice House succeed is due to wonderful, dedicated volunteers. They play an important role in the hospice program by providing comfort and emotional support to terminally ill patients and their families.

Who can be a volunteer?

Hospice volunteers are of all ages and come from different life experiences. They are drawn to hospice work for a variety of reasons, but the characteristics that define and unite them are compassion and the desire to help.

If you can listen, enjoy being with other people, like being part of a team and are reliable and dependable, you'll fit right in!

How can I help?

• Patient care volunteers become very involved with patients, whether helping to feed those in need, providing respite care for the caregiver, running errands or simply sitting quietly by a bedside.
• Volunteers who are interested in bereavement offer support to the survivors by telephone calls or home visits. They provide reassurance to the family that their feelings are normal and necessary during the grief process. They also provide spiritual support to meet the needs of the dying patient.
• Office support volunteers prefer to help with clerical duties. Mailings as well as a variety of clerical work is an ongoing process in the hospice setting.
• Fund raising volunteers are needed to work with our development staff and assist with various fund raising projects. The generous donations allow our hospice program to provide care to patients regardless of their ability to pay.
• Life Review Video Project volunteers help create legacy videos that can be shared with family members and passed down to other generations.

Is experience required to become a volunteer?

Experience is NOT required but thorough training is provided along with on-going supervision from our qualified staff.

Training is filled with valuable information. Volunteers learn good communication skills that enable them to listen effectively and to talk openly about issues relating to death and dying. By the end of the training, volunteers are well prepared to meet a variety of new experiences and can share this with our hospice patients and their families. To find out the next scheduled training dates, please contact the volunteer coordinator at 314-543-6869 or by e-mail.

All volunteers are encouraged to attend monthly meetings to share information, discuss patients' needs and receive support from each other as well as from the rest of the hospice staff.

Note - Training classes are offered free of charge and St. Anthony's Hospice provides all necessary materials. There is no obligation to St. Anthony's Hospice to become a volunteer after training if someone decides that hospice volunteering just is not for them. St. Anthony's Hospice respects that decision.

How do I become a volunteer?

Call the volunteer coordinator, at 314-543-6869 to learn more about interesting and rewarding volunteer opportunities.

There is so much to be gained from being a hospice volunteer — personal satisfaction, greater self-knowledge and spiritual growth. We hope you can join our "hospice family"!

I cannot volunteer at this time, but how else can I help?

We are committed to providing care, regardless of financial circumstances, and your gift or contribution can make a difference in many ways. We take pride in knowing your donations go back to the communities we serve. Your donations assist us in ensuring that our ministry remains strong. Many giving opportunities are available to help keep the reality of St. Anthony's Hospice and the de Greeff Hospice House alive.

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For information, please call our Health Access Line at 314-ANTHONY (268-4669) or 800-554-9550 or visit find a physician online.

At St. Anthony's, our vision is to be the area's premier health care organization
— and your first choice for health care services.