Thank you for your interest in volunteering at the University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
The College of Veterinary Medicine’s mission is to improve animal and human health through excellence in veterinary and biomedical education, research, and clinical service. The Veterinary Teaching Hospital, a state of the art medical and teaching facility, handles more than 34,000 small and large animal visits each year and offers 25+ specialty services, including a 24-hour emergency service.
Our goal is to provide positive, talented, and compassionate volunteers an opportunity to learn, help others, and give back. The program provides assistance to patients and families in the main waiting areas throughout the hospital. Duties may include assisting clients through the doors, giving directions or escorting clients to service areas, interacting with clients and patients, utilizing active listening skills, cleaning waiting areas, and explaining the hospital process to new clients and patients. Animals that visit our hospital are experiencing illness or injury. We are looking for volunteers that are sensitive to the nature of the work at the hospital and understand the need for patient/client confidentiality.
We are committed to providing excellent patient and client care, and we are looking for people that can help us achieve this outcome. Not everyone that applies will be selected to serve in our volunteer program. We recruit and will place to fit our needs. Once you have submitted your application, it will be reviewed, and an interview will be scheduled. We provide training and orientation before the onset of volunteering. A background check may be required before placement. Placement is contingent on an approved screening and a completed orientation/training.
Volunteers play a key role at the hospital, Your time and talent are valuable. Therefore, volunteers are expected to reliably attend all of their scheduled shifts. This includes arriving on time, completing the duration of the shift, and signing in/out for shifts, Volunteer shifts are 2-4 hours in length during set times of the work week Monday through Friday.
We look forward to meeting and working with you in the future, Thank you for your commitment to the community and human-animal wellbeing.
Sincerely,
Noelle Browning, LCSW
Clinical Counselor
Veterinary Teaching Hospital
2200 College Station Rd.
Athens, GA 30602
(706) 542-3221
Volunteer Program Job Description
Direct Supervisor/Volunteer Coordinator: Noelle Browning, MSW, LCSW
Position Title: CARES Volunteer
Position Goal: To provide positive, talented, and compassionate volunteers an opportunity to learn, help others, and give back.
Tasks:
- Assist clients and patients through doorways
- Providing directions and escorting clients and patients to service areas
- Interact with clients, providing active listening skills and life review
- Identifying and assisting with cleaning accidents in waiting areas
- Explaining the hospital process to clients and families
- Providing literature on local attractions, eateries, and resources
- Providing a supportive presence to clients and identify any additional needs
- Reporting clients to staff that require additional support
- Assisting with clerical support to staff as needed
- Attending special events to provide support to staff and clients as able
Skills:
- Understand and set healthy boundaries for clients
- Provide confidentiality for clients and patients
- Provide compassion and non-judgement
- Have active listening skills
- Come with a desire to learn and provide service to others
- Punctuality and reliability
Setting: The program is designed to support clients and families in the main waiting areas throughout the hospital.
Schedule: We request volunteers provide at least one shift of support a week. Shifts last from 2 - 4 hours in length, either in the morning or the afternoon during the hours of 8:00am-5:00pm.
Application for Volunteer Services
The University of Georgia does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status or disability in access to its programs and activities. No question on this form is intended to secure information to be used for such discrimination.