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Bemidji Volunteer Opportunities

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Give Your Time to Sanford Bemidji

Thank you for your interest in serving your community at Sanford Health in Bemidji. You have chosen to join over 400 other volunteers in sharing your time, your talents and your heart with our patients, residents, staff, families and visitors.

Volunteer Information

Requirements

We require that:

  • Volunteers are at least 15 years old, some positions require a minimum age of 18 years old.
  • Able to communicate clearly in English.
  • We cannot accept volunteers who are meeting court-mandated community service hours.

We require that before volunteering, a prospective volunteer must complete the following:

  • Application – filled out online
  • Health Screening
    • Tuberculosis test
    • Immunity assessment - influenza, MMR(mumps, measles and rubella) and Varicella (chickenpox)
  • Criminal Background Check
  • Confidential References – two non-family members
  • Orientation – must attend an orientation meeting. Contact the Volunteer Office for the date of the next Orientation – (218) 333-5654. All orientation sessions take place in the Education Center. Please use the East Entrance of the Medical Center. An East Desk volunteer will direct you to the meeting room.

Our patients and families deserve the very best. We need people who:

  • Display competency (can learn the position and remember the details)
  • Are compassionate (understand the stress of a hospitalization)
  • Defend a patient’s right to privacy (our volunteers are held to a strict code of confidentiality)
  • Are respectful (we serve all walks of life, economic status and an increasingly diverse population)

If the applicant has the interests, skills, and temperament to meet the needs of Sanford Bemidji, a placement is made pending availability. If a placement is not available immediately, the volunteer is notified at a later date when one is available.

Frequently Asked Questions

I would like to find employment at Sanford Bemidji. Am I guaranteed a job by volunteering?

No, all employment is arranged through our Human Resources Department.

Are there any opportunities in the evenings or on the weekends?

Yes, however, opportunities are limited and usually fill up quickly due to their popularity. Please refer to the 'Opportunities' section for more information on programs with evening and weekend availability.

Do you offer opportunities to shadow physicians or other medical staff?

We do not offer these opportunities at this time.

How long does the application process take? Can I start right away?

The entire application process usually takes three to four weeks to complete. We highly encourage applicants to begin the process up to one month before they would like to begin volunteering.

How many hours do most volunteers work?

Most volunteers start out with one, two to four hour shift a week. Volunteers who are interested in picking up additional shifts are encouraged to discuss options with their coordinator. Both flexible and regular weekly scheduling is available.

I am interested in working in a position where I can observe physicians working with patients, is that possible?

Generally speaking, volunteers will not have the opportunity to observe physicians working with patients during the course of their volunteer work.

I don’t see the position I am interested in on the listing of opportunities. Can I request to volunteer in a department that isn’t listed?

Not every department has a need or the resources to accommodate volunteers. The programs listed have been developed to utilize volunteers effectively. We are not usually able to accommodate placement of volunteers in departments not listed.

I need to fulfill some community service hours. Can I do them through Sanford Bemidji? What about court-ordered community service hours?

It depends. We are not able to accept volunteers with misdemeanor or felony charges other than minor driving violations. Also, all volunteers must be able to fulfill the required six-month commitment regardless of the number of hours they need.

I only need 12 volunteer hours for a class. Do you have opportunities that would fulfill this requirement?

Unfortunately, no. We ask our volunteers for a six-month or 50-hour commitment. Check out volunteerbemidji.org for short-term volunteer opportunities.

I see that I need a health screening. Is that something I will have to pay for?

No. All medical screening involved with volunteering is covered if it is done through our Employee Health Service.

Volunteer Opportunities

Baby Cuddlers

Sanford Bemidji Medical Center, Bemidji, MN

Volunteers support the nursery staff by holding babies and providing comfort, care, and gentle stimulation to hospitalized infants.

Requirements: Age 16 and up.


Clinic Greeter

Sanford Clinic Locations 

Outgoing and friendly people who greet guests and assist with wayfinding and questions.

Requirements: Age 16 and up.


Coffee Cart

Sanford Bemidji Medical Center, Bemidji, MN

Provide refreshments to our patients and their families.

Requirements: Age 16 and up.


East Information Desk

Sanford Bemidji Medical Center, Bemidji, MN

Greet guests, provide patient room numbers, deliver flowers and mail, provide directions, escort visitors and complete small projects.

Requirements: Age 16 and up.


Emergency Department

Sanford Bemidji Medical Center, Bemidji, MN

Greet patients and family, offer refreshments and reading materials, and stock rooms. 

Requirements: Aged 18 and up.


Gift Shop

Sanford Bemidji Medical Center, Bemidji, MN

Assist customers, take phone calls and help with merchandise.

Requirements: Aged 16 and up.


Cancer Center

Sanford Joe Lueken Cancer Center, Bemidji, MN

Greet patients and families, offer refreshments and reading materials, and stock rooms.

Requirements: Age 18 and up.


Pet Therapy

Sanford Bemidji All Locations

Pet Therapy dogs and their handlers help improve the emotional, physical, cognitive, and social well-being of hospitalized patients, clinic patients and visitors and staff.

Requirements: Age 18 and up, as well as specific pet therapy requirements.


Sanford Bagley Medical Center

Sanford Bagley Medical Center, Bagley, MN

Provide refreshments and compassionate service to patients and their families as a volunteer at Bagley Medical Center.

Requirements: Age 16 and up


Sanford Bemidji Home Care and Hospice

Sanford Bemidji Home Care and Hospice offers wonderful volunteer opportunities to individuals from a variety of personal and professional backgrounds. The Home Care and Hospice volunteer is a loving and caring person who can provide emotional support, comfort, and assistance to the hospice patient and family members. Volunteers are trained in communication and caring skills and have a basic understanding of the patient’s disease. Nursing and home care skills are not a part of the volunteer training.

  • Support for patients. This can include visiting, reading, taking walks, writing letters, bringing in music, supervising visits with pets, even massage therapy for volunteers with the necessary skills.
  • Respite and support for family members. Volunteers can assist with shopping or household maintenance, or allow family caregivers the opportunity to take care of necessary errands and get some time away from the house. Family members also appreciate a visit from a compassionate friend who understands what they are going through.
  • Bereavement support programs. Hospice volunteers can work closely with the hospice’s professional bereavement staff in duties that range from assisting as a support group facilitator to serving refreshments and helping with mailings to clients and families.
  • Fundraising and administrative work. A volunteer with clerical skills can serve a hospice by helping in the office with simple administrative duties. Fundraising responsibilities can range from preparing mailings or thank you letters to organizing fundraising events and contacting possible donors.

Senior Living

WoodsEdge Senior Living, Bemidji, MN

If you are looking for ways to reach out and enhance someone's quality of life, a great place to start is by volunteering at WoodsEdge Senior Living. We have many wonderful opportunities to make a difference in the lives of our senior population. At WoodsEdge we have Trillium, a memory care facility; Neilson Place, a skilled nursing home; and WindSong, a catered-living apartment complex for seniors.

As a volunteer, you could be that much needed friend, that ear who will listen, or the help that was needed. Check us out, it could be the most rewarding thing you’ll ever do.