Volunteer Opportunities

Make a difference in your community

When you become a volunteer at Newton-Wellesley Hospital there are many benefits. Volunteering is a great way to become actively involved in your community. It helps you develop your skills and experience and can help you explore career possibilities. You will help people who are sick or injured and as you do so you are meeting new people along the way.

Volunteers at Newton-Wellesley Hospital help us fulfill our mission of providing outstanding care to the people in the community. We depend on volunteers like you to help make it happen.

How do I become a volunteer?

We are currently accepting volunteer applications, but availability of positions may be variable. Late afternoon (after 4pm), evening and weekend positions are very limited.

Acceptance into the volunteer program is contingent of satisfactory results of the interview, occupational health screening, criminal history check (CORI), and other information provided by the volunteer.

• We are currently accepting applications from adult and college students on a rolling basis as positions are available. 
  • Our high school program is full. We will begin accepting applications for the summer high school program on March 1, 2023.
  • The minimum age to apply for high school students is 15. See next section for information about the summer program.
• Complete an NWH Volunteer Application
• Once your application has been submitted, call our Volunteer Office at 617-243-6048 to schedule a volunteer interview. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
• Volunteer interviews are scheduled from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and will be conducted via Zoom and last for 30 minutes.
• Applicants who are accepted into the program will need to show a government-issued photo ID (or school IDs + Birth Certificate) at the end of the interview.
• Required health documentation: MMR, Varicella, Flu Shot, Covid-19 primary series and booster, and a TB Spot test within 90 days of start date

High school student summer volunteer program

• Applications for the summer program will be accepted beginning March 1, 2023.
• The program will run from June 25 to August 19
• One week off is allowed during the program. We are unable to accommodate any exceptions to this requirement.

In-person volunteer placement

• Students will be assigned to one clinical and one non-clinical assignment or two non-clinical assignments 2 shifts per week. The total time requirement is approximately 4-8 hours per week

Attendance at at least 3 of the 6 career explorations/medical innovation sessions (to be held in a hybrid model)

• The sessions will be approximately 1.5 hours, day and time TBD.
• Students can pick any three that interest them or work best with their schedule.
• Students are welcome to attend more than 3 if they would like. There will be a total of 6 sessions held.

Requirements for the summer program:

• Completion of all on-boarding requirements by June 1st
• Attendance at a mandatory Welcome Session on June 14, 7-8 pm.
• A summer celebration event will take place on Wednesday, August 17th. Details to follow.

How To Apply for the 2023 Summer Program:

• Complete a NWH Volunteer Application
• Students will also need to submit a Minor Authorization to Volunteer form and Occupational Health Screening Authorization form. These will be uploaded into the application when applying online.
• Once your application has been submitted, call our Volunteer Office at 617-243-6048 to schedule a volunteer interview. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Previous applicants do not need to reapply; however you will need to call the Volunteer Office beginning on March 1 to schedule an interview.
  • Additionally, previous applicants will need to submit a new Minor Authorization to Volunteer form and Occupational Health Screening Authorization form via email prior to their placement call
• Please state that you are a previous volunteer / applicant when you call so that we can verify we have an application for you.
• Virtual interviews will be conducted on a first come first serve basis. Placement in the program will continue until all assignments are filled. We anticipate that this program will fill quickly, so please call the office to schedule your interview as soon as possible once the application window opens.
• Students will receive two prompt questions ahead of the interview. These will be included in the interview discussion and do not require are any formal preparation. They are simply to add to the conversation and will allow us to get to know you better.
• Students who are accepted to the summer program will need to show a government issued ID (license, passport, or school ID WITH birth certificate) at the end of the interview.
• Students who are accepted into the program will need to provide documentation of the following vaccinations: MMR, Varicella, current Flu Shot, Covid-19. Students will also need to complete a TB Spot test within 90 days of their start date.

Our volunteers

Our volunteers come from all walks of life. We have volunteers from age 15 to over the age of 90. They include students, retirees, people with full-time careers, vocational work groups, and others who choose to spend their extra time serving their community.

What are the volunteer time requirements?

Our staff members and volunteers all make mutual commitments to provide quality service. Because of the time we spend to train our volunteers, we expect a minimum of 2-4 hours of volunteer service each week, depending on individual assignments., This is equivalent to a total minimum commitment of 100 hours per year for adults, 50 hours over two semesters for college students, and 50 hours per year for high school students (outside of our summer high school volunteer program).

Certain volunteer programs, such as the Patient Representative and Surgical Liaison programs, require a minimum commitment of one year of service.

Where do volunteers serve?

Volunteers work with us in nearly every area of the hospital. We depend on our volunteers to provide the high-quality care our community deserves. You may choose to serve patients and their families in inpatient or outpatient areas, assist our support services staff members, or provide administrative support. The following are examples of the many hospital areas, programs, and roles where you can volunteer your time and may not be reflective of current availability for volunteer placement.

• Ambassador
• Cafeteria
• Emergency Department
• Gift Shop
• Mailroom
• Patient Escort
• Cancer Center 
• Nutrition and Food Services
• Office Settings
• Ambulatory Clinics
• Outpatient Surgery
• Patient Representatives
• Patient Units
• Pediatrics
• Pet Therapy *(Certification required)
• Radiology
• Receiving/Storeroom
• Reiki *(Level 2 certification required)
• Surgical Liaison
• Transport Services