St. Louis Children’s Hospital

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at St. Louis Children's Hospital.  Below you will find a list of volunteer opportunities accompanied with a brief description.  During your placement interview we will discuss the specific openings and details.

Volunteer Opportunities are divided into two different sections, limited patient contact areas and patient contact areas.

Volunteers in limited patient contact areas must be flexible, able to work with staff and other volunteers and willing to fulfill roles that are crucial to the hospital’s mission. These rolesmay notprovide as much one on one patient contactbut are a great way for a volunteer to become accustomed to the hospital environment.

Volunteers in patient contact areas need to be independent, flexible, and able to see opportunities and needs. They must also be comfortable working with hospitalized children.

Due to the popularityof some positions there may belimited openings.

Limited Patient Contact Areas

Family Resource Center (FRC)

The Family Resource Center provides access to current and accurate health information for staff and community as well as access to FAX, e-mail, phones, and laptop computers for hospital patrons. Duties include:

• Take messages for staff
• Record visitors and activities in the activity log
• Check books and DVDsin and out
• Take information for search requests
• Hours: Monday- Thursday, 8:30 – 7:00 p.m., Friday, 8:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Small World Gift Shop

In this fast-paced environment, volunteers help:

• Raise dollars for the hospital through the revenue generated from sales
• Assist families, patients, visitors and staff with their purchases in the Small World Gift Shop by providing a warm, caring atmosphere and excellent service
• Maintain the gift shop's clean and organized appearance
• Restock merchandise as needed
• Hours: Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
  Saturday: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. / Sunday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

PathFinder

• Greet patients, families, and visitors as they enter the hospital.
• Escort families and visitors to and from various locations throughout the hospital.
• Give directions, via maps, to families and visitors with marked route and desitnation area.
• This position requires strong communication skills and an extroverted nature.
• Minimum two to three hour shift per visit
• Hours – 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday – Friday.

Patient Contact Areas

Child Life Services Playroom and Teen Lounge

Staffed by Child Life Specialists, and designed to provide comfort and play to children in a non-medical setting, this area is part of what makes our hospital so unique. The Playroom serves patients under age 12 while our Teen Lounge serves patients over age 12. Volunteers who are over the age of 18 will be asked to assist in both areas as needed. Under the direction of the Child Life Specialist in the Playroom/Teen Lounge, volunteers may:

• Play with patients in the Playroom
• Visit patients in their room
• Assist in providing activities specially designed for the adolescent patient
• Play video games with a patient
• Sign games and toys in and out of the Playroom.
• Keep the Playroom and Teen Lounge in good order.
• Make and refill supplies.
• Wednesday 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. volunteers provide support and assistance during the weekly televised in-house BINGO game.
• Hours: Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – noon *; 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.; 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
  Saturday: 10 a.m. – noon *; 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
  Sunday: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. *Playroom only

Child Life Services Sibling Playroom

The Sibling Playroom offers parents a safe place for the siblings of our patients (both in-patient and out-patient) while their parents visit the hospitalized child or go to an outpatient appointment.

• Play with siblings in the playroom.
• Sign siblings in and out of the Playroom.
• Keep the playroom neat and in good order
• Hours: Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – noon; 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.; 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
  Saturday: 10 a.m. – noon; 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
  Sunday: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Child Life Services Schoolroom/Tutor

Help maintaining a child’s academic progress while removed from their regular school setting

• Work one-on-one with patients to complete assignments from their classrooms or in schoolroom activities.
• Assist in providing developmentally appropriate teaching tools to instruct/tutor patients.
• Assist patients with computerized teaching/learning activities.
• Transporting patients to and from the nursing units to the schoolroom (except central line patients).
• Hours: Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – noon; 1 p.m. –4 p.m.

Hale Irwin Pediatric Cancer Center

• Spend time in the outpatient hematology-oncology clinic
• Provide friendly support, both emotional and physical to the patient and families during clinic visits
• Help the medical staff whenever possible
• Provide activities for patients and siblings while waiting or during procedures
• Supervise and maintain clinic playrooms
• Hours - Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Ronald McDonald Family Room

The Ronald McDonald Family Room is a little oasis within our hospital families can spend time together away from the hustle and bustle of hospital corridors, busy waiting rooms and their child’s room.

• Two volunteers per shift
  • Three hour shift
  • Great for a group to share a shift.
• Welcome families
• Orient new families to the room rules
• Ensure families are comfortable.
• Monitor and stock supplies
• Hours: Sunday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
• Volunteers MUST be age 18 and older.
• Click here to volunteer!

Same Day Surgery

• Children come from all areas to have outpatient surgery at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Volunteers provide a reassuring presence for parents and families. They are a vital link in keeping families informed before, during and after their child’s procedure.
• Hours:
  • Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.