Join us for our upcoming volunteer trainings!
Volunteer Trainings
Center for Solace is a community-supported organization that thrives due to our volunteers' generosity, time, talent, and love. They enable this organization to provide services free of charge to those who need them. Volunteers who work directly with clients are prepared to serve with high empathy, patience, and reliability. They receive extensive training, supervision, and support. It is vitally important to us that their experience is educational and affirmative. We believe that when the volunteer experience is positive, the client experience will also likely be positive. We look for specific qualities in those whom we match with our clients.
We offer several different volunteer trainings in the fall and spring each year. To be put on the waiting list, please fill out an application for the program(s) that interest you. Trainings are often scheduled based on volunteer availability.
Not interested in a training, but still want to volunteer? Contact us or Experienced Goods.
Volunteer Trainings
Next Training Begins in Fall 2026
Our trainings are well-known in the community for being thoughtful, thorough, and transformative.
No prior experience is necessary other than an open heart and mind.
Each program has unique training and applications. We want to ensure that applicants are committed to the program. We ask applicants for a small fee to cover administrative costs.
All applicants will have a discussion with the respective program coordinator before their training.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. When several applicants have applied, training is scheduled (usually in the fall and spring) based on availability.
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Our next training will begin in Fall 2026.
There are 24 hours of in-person training with an additional 8 hours or so of home-based prep work.
The Serious Illness Program (SIP) offers short term, one-on-one support, as well as peer support groups to people with a serious illness that may or may not carry an impending terminal diagnosis. The expectation is that volunteers will be assigned for three to six months to assist clients who are living with a serious illness.
In the SIP training we will cover topics such as the tasks of the seriously ill, being a listening presence, healthy boundaries, illness and self image, companioning, nuts and bolts of volunteering, and self care for the volunteer. The training includes time for small and large group discussion, guest presenters, and time to practice skills as they are learned. Volunteers will also learn about peer support group facilitation, and if they are interested in becoming a group facilitator there is additional training available.
Applications are being accepted; you will be contacted when dates and times are set for the next training.
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Our next training will begin in Spring 2026.
There are 24 hours of in-person training with an additional 8 hours or so of home-based prep work.
Our Hospice and Early Care training will provide the skills for volunteers to support those living with a terminal illness and their families.
Help may range from errands and gardening to emotional and physical support. Training topics include Hospice philosophy, nuts and bolts of volunteering, ethical issues, personal attitudes toward death and dying, and grief issues, among others. Presenters include professionals from the community as well as Hospice staff and volunteers.
Applications are being accepted; you will be contacted when dates and times are set for the next training.
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Our next training will begin in Fall 2026.
There are 24 hours of in-person training with an additional 8 hours or so of home-based prep work.
Our Bereavement training will provide the needed skills for volunteers to support clients who are grieving the death of a loved one.
We will cover topics such as compassionate listening, being a healing presence, holding space for grief, different types of death losses such as illness, suicide, substance abuse and others. This is an interactive training with time for small- and large-group discussions, viewing of short videos, hearing from guests with expertise in working with grief loss, and time to practice being a volunteer.
Applications are being accepted for the Fall 2026 session.
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Please apply to be added to a waiting list for an upcoming training. We will schedule one when we have enough participants.
This is a 10-hour training over 2 days.
Our Advance Care Planning Training ensures volunteers can support those who wish to create their Advance Directive documents.
Advance Care Planning volunteers support clients in creating a written healthcare plan (advance directive). An advance directive tells others what you would want, and/or not want, if you couldn’t tell them yourself due to an accident or serious illness. Much like an insurance policy, an AD gives you the best chance of ensuring that your wishes will be followed in the event of a medical crisis.
For information on Advance Care Planning Trainings, contact Shari May at 802-257-0775, ext. 102, or email shari.may@cfsolace.org