Volunteer Services Department
| Appointments: |
(504) 896-9486 |
| Hours of operation: |
8 am until 5 pm Monday through Friday, evening and weekend appointments by special request
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Volunteering at Children’s Hospital
Volunteers at Children’s Hospital are part of a family.Volunteers will find that staff, patients and their families depend on them.They will experience personal rewards, which are immeasurable, and what they give to the hospital and its patients is also immeasurable.
Volunteers can help in the following ways:
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Entertain and assist patients - The hospital can be a scary place.Volunteers can be very reassuring to young patients and their families.
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Work in an office setting - Not all volunteers want to interact with patients. Many choose to help with office work such as filing, answering phones, making copies and other general office duties.
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Staff the Gift Shop - The hospital’s Gift Shop is staffed by volunteers and is a great place to have contact with patients and their families, visitors and hospital staff.
To Become a Volunteer
Those individuals 14 and older who are interested in becoming a volunteer should print out and complete a Volunteer Application then contact the Volunteer Services Department at (504) 896-9486 to set up an appointment for an interview. Please bring the application with you when you come for your interview. Volunteers must be able to commit to a regular, weekly schedule of at least 3 hours per week.
High school students must bring a letter of recommendation from a teacher or school staff member. At the time of the interview, those 18 years of age and older will be asked to sign consent forms so that a criminal background and sex offender check may be done. Also at the interview, once the schedule has been confirmed, an orientation will be arranged.
Before volunteers may begin their service, they will need to have a tuberculosis skin test done. This can be performed at Children's Hospital at no cost. Those who have had a TB test done within the past year may bring a copy to us before they begin.
The application process for the Summer Volunteer Program is different. Please see below for more information on our summer program.
Summer Volunteer Program
Childrens Hospital is fortunate to have the assistance of many volunteers over the summer, but these positions fill up quickly! The summer is divided into two, five-week sessions with the first session beginning in June and the second session beginning in July. High school students who are applying for the summer program should print the Volunteer Application and send it, along with your recommendation letter, to the Volunteer Services Department at Children's Hospital, 200 Henry Clay Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118, Attn: Mary Ann Joffray. The deadline for high school students (junior volunteers) to apply is March 15th. The deadline for college students to apply is April 15th. After these dates the program could be filled. Please call the Volunteer Office at 896-9486 if you are inquiring after the deadline has passed.
The first summer a high school student volunteers at the hospital, they will be placed in a non-patient environment. If they return, either during the school year or the following summer, they may be placed in areas with direct patient contact.
The dates for the summer of 2010 are:
Session I: June 8th - July 9th
Session II: July 12th - August 13th
Junior Volunteers must:
- Be at least fourteen years old or going into the ninth grade
- Commit to a schedule of Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday (full or half days) OR Monday through Friday (half days only)
Basic Questions and Answers
Do I need special skills to be a volunteer?
No, all you really need is a desire to help others and a willingness to learn.
Do volunteers have to work a minimum number of hours?
Yes, Children’s Hospital requires volunteers to commit to a minimum of 50 volunteer hours, which can be done throughout the year. Volunteers can work as little as 3 hours a week or as much as 40 hours a week. In the summer, volunteers must commit to at least one, five-week session (it is ok if the total hours are less than 50). No letters of recommendation or confirmation of hours will be given until this commitment has been met.
For more information, please contact the Children’s Hospital Volunteer Services Department at (504) 896-9486 or e-mail Mary Ann Joffray at
mjoffray@chnola.org
The Guild
Before Children's Hospital opened its doors in 1955, the Children's Hospital Guild was officially formed. The Guild is credited with paving the way to make Children's Hospital a reality. Founding Guild members raised the funds and helped to secure the necessary community support and the land for Children's Hospital.
Today, The Guild is among the hospital's most treasured friends and supporters, with a membership of more than 300 men and women. Members participate in a variety of volunteer activities that all contribute to helping the hospital continue to provide exemplary healthcare to its young patients.
To become a member of The Guild, please download the form and mail with payment to Children's Hospital, Attn: Public Affairs, 200 Henry Clay Ave., New Orleans, LA 70118. If you have any questions, please contact Nicole Marinello at (504) 896-9373.
Guild membership form (PDF Format)
Visiting GroupsThank you for your interest in visiting patients at Children's Hospital. Our young patients greatly benefit from the welcomed and fun distraction visiting groups bring with them. If you are interested in scheduling a visit, please call the Public Affairs Department at (504) 896-9373. Please look over the
Visiting Group Application and Guidelines (PDF).
Please Note: Room to room visits will only take place Monday - Friday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (subject to availability). We cannot accommodate room to room visits on weekends.