No matter where they serve, volunteers at Northern Light Mercy Hospital all share one common desire: to help others and to give meaningfully of themselves. For many, it simply means being a friend or talking with a patient, for others it may be sharing a talent or lending a hand with paperwork.
More than 350 Maine volunteers give service to Northern Light Mercy Hospital each year, and there’s always room for another caring heart.
Our manager of volunteer services interviews prospective volunteers and searches for the right individual to fill a particular need. If you are interested in any of Mercy’s volunteer programs listed below or need more information, please call 207-879-3286.
-
Ambulatory Care - Volunteers provide nourishments, discharge patients, collate charts, stock shelves, and run errands in our Day Surgery unit.
-
Gift Shop Cashiers - Volunteers operate the register, perform sales, and assist in stocking the Mercy Gift Shop and Fore River Gifts, which are major fundraisers for The Auxiliary to Mercy, supporting many programs and services.
-
Clerical Support - A variety of areas are always in need of volunteer clerical support, including: Patient Accounts, Clinical Nutrition, Development, Health Information, Medical Library, Human Resources, Medical Affairs, VNA Home Health Care, the School of Radiologic Technology, and Volunteer Services.
-
Emergency Department - Volunteers assist with patient transport, sitting with patients, restocking supplies, making beds, and running errands.
-
Escorts - Volunteer escorts assist in transporting new admissions from Patient Registration to various clinical areas.
-
Eucharistic - Volunteers provide communion and support to patients through Pastoral Care.
-
Flower Box - Volunteers make floral arrangements to sell in our Gift Shops.
-
Food Service - Volunteer clerical and restocking positions are available in the cafeteria, kitchen, and Nutrition Office.
-
Information Desk - Volunteers direct visitors and deliver patient mail and flowers. They also serve as the SLIM (Sort, Label, Insert, and Mail) Team, assisting with special projects and mailings.
-
Knifty Knitters - Our knitters create handcrafted knitted goods such as blankets, caps, and sweater sets for our families in The Birthplace, as well as caps for Oncology patients, socks for indigent ER patients, and lap robes for inpatients. This is an excellent opportunity for home-based volunteers to provide service and bring joy.
-
McAuley Residence - Volunteers assist with clerical support as well as serve as mentors to residents, provide childcare, and assist with special projects.
-
Mercy Westbrook - Volunteers assist in the Laboratory, Radiology, and Primary Care departments, providing clerical support and patient services.
-
Music Therapy - Musical volunteers bring instruments and their voices to the patient care units to provide soothing, relaxing, and cheerful diversion. Groups and strolling troubadours are encouraged to visit and perform for our patients.
-
Pet Therapy - Volunteers bring their licensed therapy dogs to visit our inpatient medical, surgical, and oncology units.
-
Recovery Center - Volunteers lead groups, provide patient support, and assist with clerical needs at our Mercy Westbrook campus.
-
X-Ray - Volunteers greet patients, assist with transporting of patients, and file patient records.
-
Junior Volunteers - Students aged 14+ can participate in many of the same volunteer areas as adults, while gaining exposure to health care careers.
For more information about volunteering at any of our locations in the Portland, Maine region – including Gary’s House and McAuley Residence – please call 207-879-3286.