Volunteers needed to support veterans in No Member Dies Alone program
(CBS DETROIT) - Michigan Veteran Homes is seeking volunteers to join its No Member Dies Alone program, which offers assistance and comfort to veteran members in their final stages of life.
Through this program, volunteers provide bedside comfort to veterans when their friends and family can't be there.
Volunteers provide support in different ways, such as talking, listening, reading, playing music, and holding a member's hand.
Michigan Veteran Homes is looking for volunteers at the Homes locations in Chesterfield Township, Grand Rapids and Marquette.
Individuals can apply in person at one of the Homes. Applicants will undergo a special interview process as these individuals must be comfortable interacting with veterans nearing death.
Necessary training will be provided to volunteers, including orientation sessions on member privacy regulations, bedside protocols, communication skills and self-care.
"When I retired from a very fulfilling 40-year career as an educator, I knew I needed to find something to do that had meaning and purpose," said Mike Micele, a Vietnam veteran and NMDA volunteer. "Joining the NMDA program has been one of the most powerful and life-changing experiences of my life. It is truly spiritual work. In some cases, these veterans don't have friends or family present so to be there and tell them they are loved and there is nothing to fear is beyond words. The best gift we can give a dying member is our time, presence and love. This is work that needs doing and demands our best."
Anyone interested in volunteering at Michigan Veteran Homes can contact each Home at the following:
- Michigan Veteran Homes at Chesterfield Township - Volunteer Coordinator Maxine Butler at butlerm13@michigan.gov or 586-256-9921.
- Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids - Volunteer Coordinator Becky Smit at smitr@michigan.gov or 517-281-8963.
- Michigan Veteran Homes D.J. Jacobetti - Volunteer and Donations Coordinator Sarah Johnson at johnsons93@michigan.gov or 906-226-3576 Ext: 2520396.
