Missouri Veterans Home announces plans for upcoming hospitality volunteer program

~ Volunteers will be fully trained for any duty requested of them.

The Missouri Veterans Home is seeking volunteers for a hospitality program beginning in February.

The home has openings on A wing: morning and afternoon shifts on Saturday and Sunday and the afternoon shift on Wednesday and Friday; and C wing, morning and afternoon shifts on Sunday and afternoon shifts on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Ken Lipps, director of volunteer services and public relations, said ideal hours would be a shift from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 1 to 6 p.m. on at least a weekly or every two weeks basis, any day of the week.

The primary duty location will be at the A or C wing nursing station to help answer the nursing station phone and do other minor clerical chores.

As a hospitality volunteer gets more acquainted with the needs of the home and resident veterans, he or she would spend more time on helping residents at meal time by wrapping silverware in napkins, carrying trays, opening milk cartons, pushing wheelchair-bound residents to an activity or entertainment in the dining room or on A or C wings and possibly assist with an activity.

When requested by social services or nursing, volunteer visit with a resident, read letters to a resident or write letters for a resident.

Hospitality volunteers will be fully trained for any duty requested of them at the veterans home. Before starting duties, the volunteer will attend training and orientation that will last much of a working day.

The volunteer would need the physical ability and stamina to walk around the facility for around 15 minutes or walk or push in a wheelchair a resident around the facility or on the walkways around the outside of the facility, weather permitting.

A mandatory training session will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 2 with a provided lunch in the dining room at 11:30 a.m. In case of bad weather, an alternate date will be Feb. 9.

Anyone interested in participation in this service may contact Lipps, at (573) 290-5459.