We have many volunteer opportunities for you, your family, friends, and co-workers. Assignments may vary but your involvement can make a real difference in the life of a Veteran patient. Below are our current available volunteer opportunities, however, if you have special skills to offer please contact the Center for Development and Civic Engagement at 570-821-7237 so we can discuss how you can best use your talents to help our Veteran patients.
Allentown, Sayre, and Williamsport Clinic Volunteer: Volunteers greet Veterans and visitors when entering the building, assist Veterans with VETEXT, offer directional assistance, complete reminder calls, and other various components to provide great Patient Experience.
Audiology Volunteer: Volunteers assist audiology technicians with stocking shelves, organizing supplies, and setting up clinical areas for audiologists. This position is available at WBVAMC and AOPC.
Canteen Volunteer: Volunteers assist Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) employees with stocking shelves, unloading merchandise, and prepare areas for seasonal sales. Volunteers also assist Veterans with shopping (if needed) or help customers during their shopping experience.
Caregiver Support Volunteer: Volunteers are assigned as a Peer Mentor to a caregiver as part of the VA National Caregiver Peer Support Mentoring Program. Through this relationship, Peer Mentors provide advice, support, and guidance to their Mentee, mostly via telephone-mail and informally. Guidance is provided by the Wilkes-Barre Caregiver Support Coordinator. Note: This position is strictly for Veteran Caregivers.
CLC Comfort Volunteer: These volunteers provide assurance, warmth, and individualized attention to Veteran residents in the Community Living Center. Volunteers assist with serving coffee, passing water, escorting Veterans to and from medical appointments in the hospital, and visit with Veterans that would benefit from socialization such as: reading, talking, watching TV, playing cards, etc. Note: In addition to being COVID vaccinated and wearing a mask, volunteers assisting in the CLC must agree to 1x weekly COVID testing through Employee Health to ensure the safety of our Veterans, volunteers, and employees.
Compassionate Contact Corps: Volunteers provide Veterans with conversation and companionship via phone visits or video chat. Visits often involve sharing life stories and topics of mutual interest with a compassionate, friendly voice in a safe non-judgmental process. This is a virtual volunteer assignment.
Courtesy Shuttle Driver: Provide transportation assistance from the parking lots to the medical center to Veterans and visitors who may have mobility limitations. To fill this important role, you must have a current driver’s license and car insurance, pass a background check, and pass a physical exam.
DAV Volunteer Driver: Volunteer drivers provide transportation to Veterans in need of medical care at the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center or CBOC sites. Positions available in the following areas: Allentown, Clarks Summit, Carbon County (Jim Thorpe), Hazleton, Honesdale, Northampton County, Shamokin, Scranton, Stroudsburg/E. Stroudsburg, Tamaqua, Tobyhanna, Williamsport, and Wilkes-Barre. To fill this important role, you must have a current driver’s license and car insurance, pass a background check, and pass a physical exam.
Home Health Assistant: Volunteers assist the Community Care Supervisor with administrative duties such as obtaining physician signatures, mailings, and faxing.
Memory Care Volunteer: Volunteers assist Occupational and Recreation Therapists with keeping Veterans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease or related dementias engaged during programs such as bingo, cooking groups, functional exercise groups, gardening, etc., assist with activity set-up and clean-up, providing escort to and from programs/activities, engage residents in individual activities such as reminiscence, listening to music, reading, trivia, checkers, chess, etc. Note: In addition to being COVID vaccinated and wearing a mask, volunteers assisting in the CLC must agree to 1x weekly COVID testing to ensure the safety of our Veterans, volunteers, and employees.
MOVE! Buddy: Veterans who have successfully completed the MOVE! program may volunteer to become a MOVE! Buddy. Volunteers offer 1:1 support to current enrollees and assist Veterans in creating their plans of change along with the MOVE! Coordinator. Note: This position is strictly for Veterans who have completed the MOVE! Program.
Food Service Volunteer: Assists Nutrition and Food Service with food preparation, receiving items, proper storage and sanitation, and interviewing Veterans for meal selections.
Primary Care Program Support Volunteer: Volunteers assist with retrieving and delivery of mail to multiple services and sorting mail for multiple medical providers and VA employees.
Recreation Therapy Volunteer: Volunteers assist Recreation Therapists and Assistants with providing escort to and from programs/activities, assist with keeping Veterans engaged during programs such as bingo, cooking groups, functional exercise groups, gardening, etc., assist with activity set-up and clean-up, and engage residents in individual activities such as: reminiscence, listening to music, reading, trivia, checkers, chess, etc. Note: In addition to being COVID vaccinated and mearing a mask, volunteers assisting in the CLC must agree to 1x weekly COVID testing through to ensure the safety of our Veterans, volunteers, and employees.
Red Coat Ambassadors: These volunteers can be found at the Information Desk inside the main entrance of the VA Medical Center. Their red coats or vests make them easy to spot and these volunteers provide assistance with navigation, information, and other various capacities of customer service.
Scranton Vet Center Volunteer: Volunteers assist the Vet Center employees with special projects/events and assist with office coverage (answering the phone greeting Veterans) during staff trainings.
Specialty Clinic Volunteer: Volunteers warmly greet Veterans receiving care in the Medical Specialty Clinic on 3West, assist Veterans with effectively and efficiently checking-in and checking-out for their medical appointments, escort Veterans to medical support assistants, and other various capacities of customer service.
Storage Room Specialist: Volunteers assist employees seeking items (i.e.: personal hygiene, clothes, leisure materials, etc.) for Veteran residents, inpatients, and other Veterans receiving care at the medical center or enrolled in a VA program. Volunteers will also ensure employees complete the sign out log appropriately, sort and stock shelves with incoming donations, monitor expiration dates and other duties as necessary.
Travel Claims Assistant: Volunteers will assist Veterans enrolling into the online travel system for travel reimbursement. Must have basic knowledge of web-based applications.