Time is a wonderful gift
Join our caring community
The Residence is always looking for people with a heart of gold and a smile that can light up a room! We rely on more than 166 carefully chosen and trained volunteers who provide 15,000+ hours of volunteering per year.
Our dedicated volunteers assist with every non-medical aspect of care, from greeting families and delivering meals to spending time with patients and supporting grieving family members.
To sign up to become a volunteer please complete the volunteer application form:
For more information please contact Cori-Ann Surette, Volunteer Program Manager, csurette@tdpcr.ca or
514 693-1718 ext. 264.
To sign up to become a complementary services volunteer, (Hairdressing, Manicure, Massage, Meditation, Yoga), please complete the complementary volunteer application form:
For more information on complementary volunteer positions please contact Louise Bilodeau, Volunteer Onboarding and Complementary Services Program Coordinator, lbilodeau@tdpcr.ca or at 514-693-1718, ext. 262.
Ways you can help
Support patients and families
Your role
Our Welcome Ambassadors/Relief Receptionists play a vital role in meeting and greeting patients, families and visitors for the first time upon entrance to the Residence. They are an integral role in assisting our team in making people feel a sense of safety, comfort and belonging.
Your primary responsibilities
- Greet families as they arrive and escort to patient’s rooms as needed.
- Back-up and support to the Receptionist
- Tours of Residence for new patients and their families (as needed).
General attributes:
- Bilingualism
- Flexibility to be called upon when needed
- Professionalism
- Maturity
- Diplomacy and discretion
- An ability to use own initiative and work unsupervised
Your role
To assist the nursing team in a hands-on manner with patients who are terminally ill and to provide an atmosphere of caring and support.
Hours are 8:30-11:30am, 12:30-3:30pm, or 6:00-9:00pm
Your primary responsibilities:
- Carry out requests from nursing employees as deemed necessary from nurses and/or Patient Care Attendants (PCA).
- Assist nursing employees with patients’ personal care needs (i.e. bathing, toileting, dressing).
- Have basic knowledge on use of room equipment (i.e. bed, lazy boy).
- If patient/family requests something special, check with nurse to see if it is possible to carry out (i.e. massage, cot for sleeping in room, pet-visitors, going outside).
- Assist patients at meal times (put bib on, set up tray, assist PCA reposition if needed).
- Answering call bells promptly and informing nurse or PCA of patient’s needs.
General attributes:
- Highly effective communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to work in an integrated team environment
- Bilingualism
- Adaptability to change
- Flexibility
- Professionalism
- Maturity
- Diplomacy and discretion
- Physically capable to help nursing team
**Patient care-specific training to be provided within 3 months of start date
Your role
To provide patients who are terminally ill and their families an atmosphere of caring and support while providing the Residence with an extra pair of hands to take meal orders, deliver meals and clear tables once the patient has finished their meal.
Hours are 7:30-10:30am, 10:30-1:30pm, or 3:30-6:30pm.
Your primary responsibilities
- Meal time tasks for those who are not able to go to dining room:
- Taking the meal orders from patients after checking with the Patient Care Attendants.
- Carrying meals to rooms.
- Picking up trays after meal times.
- Replenish water jugs.
- Circulate through Residence replenishing coffee stations and be available to those who need assistance or information.
General attributes:
- Highly effective communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to work in an integrated team environment
- Bilingualism
- Adaptability to change
- Flexibility
- Professionalism
- Maturity
- Diplomacy and discretion
- Physical ability to stand for duration of shift
Your role
Enriching the work of the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence in caring for the terminally ill and their families through follow-up phone calls after a loved one has died at the Residence.
1-4 hours a month is the time commitment required.
Your primary responsibilities:
- To call an assigned bereaved person within the stated guidelines (at the 3, 6, 9, and 12 month mark).
- To listen to and support their assigned person.
- Refer community resources if needed.
- Maintain detailed records of each phone call.
- Attend monthly meetings for bereavement support callers group.
General attributes:
- Highly effective communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to work in an integrated team environment
- Bilingualism
- Adaptability to change
- Professionalism
- Maturity
- Diplomacy and discretion
- Excellent knowledge of personal limits
- Bereavement training **
**training session will be provided before start of calls
Complementary Services Volunteer - Hairdressing, Manicure, Massage, Meditation, Yoga
For more information about becoming a complementary services volunteer, please contact Louise Bilodeau, Volunteer Onboarding and Complementary Services Program Coordinator, at lbilodeau@tdpcr.ca or at 514-693-1718, ext. 262.
Your role
To offer hairdressing and/or hairstyling to our patients.
Your primary responsibilities
- To wash and/or style patient’s hair
- With the assistance of a Patient Care Attendant or another volunteer, adjust hairdressing service to the needs of the patient
Requirements:
- Certification in hairdressing
- Comfortable working in a palliative care environment
- Demonstrated ability to work in an integrated team environment
- Diplomacy and discretion
- Strong listening and communication skills
- Bilingualism (spoken English and French)
- Follow the training on the use of a washing cap or bucket/basin
- Time commitment is 1-2 hours weekly or 2 hours bi-weekly.
Your role and primary responsibilities:
To offer our patients a gentle hand massage and/or the opportunity to have their nails painted.
Requirements:
- Certified
- Comfortable working in a palliative care environment
- Demonstrated ability to work in an integrated team environment
- Diplomacy and discretion
- Strong listening and communication skills
- Bilingualism (spoken English and French)
- Time commitment is 1-2 hours weekly or 2 hours bi-weekly.
Your role:
To offer gentle massage therapy to our patients.
Primary responsibilities:
- Offer massage therapy to help alleviate pain and as a form of relaxation
- Tailor the massage therapy to patients needs and limitations.
Requirements:
- Certification in massage therapy from a recognized institution
- Liability insurance
- Member of an association
- Demonstrated ability to work in an integrated team environment
- Diplomacy and discretion
- Strong listening and communication skills
- Bilingualism (spoken English and French)
- Time commitment is 1-2 hours weekly or 2 hours bi-weekly.
- Experience and/or training in oncology or palliative care, an asset.
Support the Residence
Your role
The Receptionist will ensure that the Residence entrance area runs smoothly, efficiently and professionally and will be the first contact for patients, their families and guests. The Receptionist will utilize organizational and interpersonal skills to support the operations of the Residence and work collaboratively with the team.
Hours are from 4:00pm – 8:00pm
Your primary responsibilities
- Greet and appropriately direct patients, families, visitors and guests, notifying employees when a guest arrives.
- Provide callers with accurate information and redirect calls to proper employee(s), as well as regular retrieval of all voicemail messages with redirection to appropriate employees for follow-up.
- Parking:
- Manage parking tickets
- Manage all parking passes for street parking on André-Brunet
- Manage the North parking lot gate
- Maintain and oversee the sign-in sheet log
General attributes:
- Excellent communication skills
- Bilingualism
- Professionalism and punctuality
- Maturity
- Diplomacy and discretion
- Maintain strict confidentiality
Your role
To enhance the work of the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence in caring for the terminally ill and their families through help in maintaining a pleasant outdoor environment around the Residence.
Your primary responsibilities
- Assist with planning, planting and maintaining flower gardens, shrubs, hedges and small trees.
- Assist with keeping general oversight on lawn and garden conditions and offering observations to Residence operations.
General attributes:
- Demonstrated ability to work in an integrated team environment
- Diplomacy and discretion
- Appropriate skills for tasks – knowledge of plants, gardening skills
- An ability to use own initiative and work unsupervised
- Physically capable to help with the gardening team
Your role
To enhance the work of the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence in caring for the terminally ill and their families through assisting housekeeping staff in assuring a clean and safe physical environment.
Your primary responsibilities
- Assist with various housekeeping tasks as required while providing a safe and clean environment.
- Helping with the disinfection process of patient rooms according to required protocols.
- Being part of overall building and grounds upkeep as needed.
General attributes:
- Demonstrated ability to work in an integrated team environment
- Diplomacy and discretion
- Appropriate skills for tasks – knowledge of the building and outdoor yard
- Physically capable to help the facilities team
Your role
Our patients and their visitors find comfort gathering around the table in the residence for a good meal or a cup of coffee. Kitchen volunteers contribute to the welcoming ambiance and offer comfort through the food that is prepared.
Volunteer hours are 7:30-10:30am, 10:30-1:30pm or 3:30-6:30pm.
Your primary responsibilities
Each scheduled time slot has been designed with the following specific purposes:
7:30 – 10:30: Breakfast Service:
Breakfast service is the key responsibility. By having a designated volunteer attend to the breakfast orders, it allows the staff member to focus on preparing for lunch service. If there are lulls in the breakfast service, the volunteer may be asked to assist with the dishwashing duties, perform light clean up duties, restocking or basic food preparations.
10:30 – 1:30: Lunch Service:
Lunch service is the key responsibility. The volunteer is expected to assist with the lunch service, dishwashing duties, prepare meals and trays for the Burlodge food trolley, and help serve staff. They will also be required to clean up after lunch and help with the dishwashing duties.
3:30 – 6: 30: Dinner Service:
Dinner service is the key responsibility. The volunteer is expected to set up for dinner service, help prepare trays for the Burlodge food trolley and help serve staff. They will also assist with closing the kitchen, cleaning up and restocking for the next day.
General attributes:
- Excellent communication skills
- Bilingualism
- Professionalism and punctuality
- Maturity
- Diplomacy and discretion
- Dependable
- Ability to follow instructions
- Physical ability to stand for duration of shift
Your role
Facilitating the work of the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence in caring for the terminally ill and their families through assisting laundry employees in assuring the availability of clean linens at all times.
Your primary responsibilities
- Loading and unloading commercial washer and dryer.
- Folding and storing linens.
- Assisting in replenishment of linens in room and common areas where needed.
General qualifications:
- Demonstrated ability to work in an integrated team environment
- Diplomacy and discretion
- Good physical shape, capacity to lift, pull and push weight
- An ability to use own initiative and work unsupervised
Your role
Facilitating the work of the Residence in caring for the terminally ill and their families by sharing time and diverse skills in the following areas:
Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence relies upon many dedicated Auxiliary volunteers sharing their time and diverse skills in the following areas:
OFFICE ADMINISTRATION: Dedicated clerical workers that support selected departments with phoning, photocopying, data entry, mailing, accounting and/or other office services.
SPECIAL EVENTS: Energetic and enthusiastic volunteers assist with our annual fundraising events such as our Golf Tournament, Valentine’s Gala Ball and Course pour la Compassion.
MUSIC: Musicians (guitar, harp, violin, piano) play gentle ‘background’ music in the late afternoon or evening in our common areas. As well, seasonally we call upon choral groups to serenade the residents to bring a holiday feeling to the residence.
CORPORATE VOLUNTEER DAYS: “Day of Service” remains popular among companies. This is when large groups of employees get out of the office to work on one or more volunteer projects in their communities and we welcome this initiative at the residence. Projects range from holiday decorating to window washing and other tasks in between.
Engage the community
Your role
Our ambassadors play a vital role in representing the residence at local events and functions, speaking about our work and the importance of the funds our supporters raise.
Your primary responsibilities
- Attending cheque presentations on behalf of the residence to thank and say a few words about how the money raised will help to make a difference.
- Delivering talks to local community groups (schools, rotary clubs, round tables, etc.) about the work of the Residence and the ways in which they could help us achieve our goals.
- Raise awareness of the Residence and our work through talking to friends and family and on social media.
General attributes:
- Confident public speaker with excellent communication skills
- Bilingualism
- Flexibility to be called upon when needed
- Professionalism
- Maturity
- Diplomacy and discretion
- An ability to use own initiative and work unsupervised
- Visit individuals regularly, by phone, in person and/or virtually
- Develop relationships with individuals and their family that promote wellness
- Provide support and encouragement
- Find community resources and services and connect individuals and families to them
- Help individuals stay engaged in what is meaningful to them
- Provide active listening
- Attend monthly meetings
- Experience working with the elderly
- Experience in palliative care, an asset
- Resourceful in seeking out information, tools and resources
- Ability to develop compassionate relationships
- Highly effective communication skills
- Highly effective listening skills
- Professionalism
- Diplomacy and discretion
- Bilingualism (spoken English and French)
Whether you want to support patients directly, or prefer to help behind the scenes, there are many ways you can volunteer with the Residence.
Friendly faces
Susan Bélanger
There is nothing like getting into a bed with fresh sheets or having soft, comfortable pajamas to wear. Susan has been part of our volunteer team, doing laundry weekly since 2016. She brings her smile and enthusiasm to a job that never takes a break. She makes sure that every room is stocked with clean linens and is ready to go for every patient arriving. She is the proud grandmother of 6 grandkids who are also very proud of HER for the time she gives the Residence. We are so grateful to have her on our team.
Virginia McGrath
Virginia’s connection to us began a few years ago when her husband passed away at the Residence. Over the next few years, she became a strong supporter with her walking group, the Walkstars, attending various fundraising events. Recently she retired from the daily work grind (and commute!) to join the Residence as a “meal server/replenisher” volunteer once a week. Virginia helps patients by making sure the home-cooked meals arrive as expected and keeps the coffee warm for all visitors all the while sharing her friendly demeanor.
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