Volunteers at the South Carolina Cancer Center are an important part of our healthcare team. After a thorough orientation as a volunteer, your time may be spent...

• Assisting medical staff on patient floors
• Playing the piano or other instrument
• Preparing cooked meals for families
• Assisting family members
• Being an understanding listener for a patient
• Serving as a clerical assistant
• Greeting visitors
• Assisting the spiritual care staff
• Helping with special events and fundraisers
• Visiting patients and families

Volunteers are always needed in almost all areas of healthcare. At the South Carolina Cancer Center, the following is a list of general areas where volunteers are currently needed most...

Clerical Assistance

Palmetto Health Hospice
Palmetto Health Hospice provides a variety of health-related care and support services for terminally ill patients and their families.

Holiday Helpings and Hope

Cancer can cause tremendous physical, emotional and financial anguish. Although most families look forward to the holidays with great eagerness and anticipation, families fighting cancer are often hard pressed to find comfort or joy during this holiday season. Through Holiday Helpings and Hope, you can help us warm the hearts of these children and adults and let them find comfort in knowing that others care.

Through this project, volunteers and donors join to provide 200 food baskets for Thanksgiving and adopt over 100 families cared for by our Cancer Center. Adults and children with cancer and their families directly benefit from this program.

You could volunteer to:

• Pack a basket with Thanksgiving food and deliver it to a patient's home.
• Deliver filled baskets several days before Thanksgiving.
• Adopt a patient and/or family in December and provide gifts using their holiday wish list.
• Provide financial support through a cash gift of any amount to help with gifts, food or holiday activities. Please remember that it takes approximately $100 to fill each basket and at least that much to provide several gifts.
• For information, call Holiday Helpings and Hope at 434-4752.

Click here to read the stories of some patients who could really user your help.

Click here to download the Holiday Helpings and Hope Brochure.

Click here to volunteer or make a donation.

Patient floors

Stephen Ministries
Participants receive 50 hours of training in caring skills, including how to listen effectively, how to deal with feelings, how to use spirituality in caring, how to maintain confidentiality and other areas. A two year commitment is required, with four hours each week spent visiting patients.

Wheelchair transport

Specific needs at both campuses of the South Carolina Cancer Center are listed below...

 

Cancer Center Lobby
Volunteers assist patients and provide information to visitors.

The Caring House
Volunteers assist in providing accommodations for families of adult patients at the Caring House, on the Palmetto Health Richland campus.

CENTURIONS
CENTURIONS support the fight against cancer through fundraising and community service projects.

Duby Thompson Library
Staffed by volunteers, the library provides visitors with books, brochures, videos, magazines , audiovisuals, journals and computer resources about cancer.

Holiday Helpings and Hope
You will receive the blessing of knowing that you have touched the hearts of patients and their families. This kindness will warm your heart as well. Your thoughtfulness will bring hope to families facing tremendous challenges. For information, call Holiday Helpings and Hope at 434-4752. Click for more information

Ice cream cart

Magazine cart/book cart

Patient supply cart

Pediatric oncology

 

Holiday Helpings and Hope
Click for more information

Personal Touch Program
Volunteers work four hour shifts on nursing units to assist the nursing staff in emotional and practical support of patients.

Volunteers must be adaptable and versatile in approaching volunteering. The Cancer Center requests that volunteers commit to two hours per week on a consistent basis, with the exception of musicians and those assisting with special events.

Volunteers should be...

• Able to meet the physical and emotional demands of volunteering
• Flexible in meeting the changing needs of the patient and family
• Accepting of diverse lifestyles, cultures, faiths and values
• Capable of maintaining confidentiality
• Reliable, responsible, dependable and punctual
• Caring and understanding

As a volunteer, you WILL make a difference to patients and families through direct and indirect patient contact. The result is an extremely rewarding feeling at the end of your day.

Volunteers are included in all Cancer Center events, including educational programs and holiday activities. Mandatory education, assignment specific training and a health assessment are provided for volunteers. Volunteer labcoats, aprons or jumpers are optional in some areas and are available for purchase.

An annual recognition and service award program is sponsored by Palmetto Health Volunteer Services.

If you would like to volunteer, please click here apply online. If you have questions about volunteer opportunities at the South Carolina Cancer Center, please send us an e-mail or call either (803) 434-6242 (Palmetto Health Richland) or (803) 296-5570 (Palmetto Health Baptist). Thanks. We appreciate your interest and look forward to talking with you.