There are many reasons people volunteer at a place like Sanford Health. Whatever reason brings you to think about giving of your time and talents; we appreciate your interest.
By becoming a volunteer at Sanford you will make a difference in the lives of patients and families. You will also support the work of the medical staff and contribute to our healing environment. Our mission is to provide competent, compassionate volunteers who enhance the quality of care and strengthen the bond between Sanford and the community.
Why Should I Become a Volunteer?
There are many reasons people volunteer at a place like Sanford Health…some are former patients or employees, others are retired and looking for meaningful ways to spend their time, some want to make new friends and others are considering a career in healthcare. Whatever reason brings you to think about giving of your time and talents, we appreciate your interest.
By becoming a volunteer at Sanford you will make a difference in the lives of patients and families. You will also support the work of the medical staff and contribute to our healing environment.
What Are the General Qualifications?
Our volunteers assist in many, many ways--some interact directly with patients and families and some do not. We have positions that involve a lot of walking and some where you remain in one place for your shift. We try to accommodate your interests and talents while keeping in mind the needs of our health system.
We ask that you come to us with:
- A positive attitude about service.
- An ability to learn and follow direction.
- The desire to commit to a volunteer position.
We require that:
- Volunteers be at least 17 years old.
- Able to communicate clearly in English.
What you can expect from us:
- The opportunity to utilize your talents.
- The opportunity to hone new skills.
- The opportunity to learn from colleagues who value you as a partner.
Please Note:
- We cannot accept volunteers who are meeting court-mandated community service hours.
- Due to the time and expense it takes volunteers to complete the qualification process, we do require that you give us a six-month commitment. However, we do make exceptions for college students and require at least a semester of their volunteer time. By completing a six-month commitment, it gives our volunteers far more experience within our health system. It also affords us more opportunity to observe our volunteers in action, allowing us to give a more thorough letter of recommendation, when requested.
How Do I Become A Volunteer?
Our patients and families deserve the very best. We need people who:
- Display competency (can learn the position and remember the details).
- Are compassionate (understand the stress of a hospitalization).
- Defend a patient's right to privacy (our volunteers are held to a strict code of confidentiality).
- Are respectful (we serve all walks of life, economic status and an increasingly diverse population).
The next step is up to you! Below you'll find link to the application form.
When your application is received and if you meet the volunteer criteria, you will be contacted for an interview.
Other specific qualifications for volunteer positions include:
- Attending the Volunteer Orientation session.
- Committing to 50 hours of volunteer service (about 3-4 hours a week).
- Passing a criminal background screening.
- Passing the Mantoux (TB) test.
What Volunteer Opportunities are Available?
Our volunteer opportunities change, so make sure you check them out on a regular basis.
General Public:
Our community volunteers are welcome to apply at any time. If we do not have a Volunteer Orientation session scheduled in the near future we will meet one-on-one with you to go through the orientation process.
College Students:
We will begin accepting volunteer applications again starting August 1st, 2010 for our Volunteer Orientation sessions scheduled for September 2010. At that time we will be filling our volunteer calendars for the Fall term.
Note:
We will accept applications to the due date listed – OR – until the Volunteer Orientation session is full.
Terms:
- Fall 2010 term: September 7 – December 15, 2010 – applications due by 4:00 p.m. September 9, 2010
- Winter 2011 term: January 14 – April 22, 2011 – applications due by 4:00 p.m. January 17, 2011
- Summer 2011 term: May 20 – August 19, 2011 – applications due by 4:00 p.m. May 18, 2011
While we are currently looking for volunteers to assist in the areas below, please view the complete list of volunteer opportunities at Sanford Health.
Join Our Auxiliary
Mission Statement: Sanford Auxiliary provides volunteer services and financial support to enhance the care of those we serve.
Sanford auxiliary has since 1962 offered our patients and visitors the special hospitality and service volunteers bring. This Auxiliary has donated to Sanford $2.7 million and thousands of volunteer hours. Throughout the year the Auxiliary hosts numerous fund-raising events; we invite you to shop and support the Auxiliary. For many of the events we recruit helpers to visit with customers, bag the purchases and re-stock product.
Interested in belonging? There are three membership categories:
- $5.00/year Active – members who volunteer throughout the year.
- $10.00/year Sustaining – member does not volunteer.
- $100.00 Lifetime – a one-time donation.
Complete the auxiliary application 
. You may e-mail the application or print the application form and mail to:
Sanford Auxiliary
PO Box 2010
Fargo, ND 58122-0242
View the 2010 Auxiliary Calendar of Sales .
For More Information