Buddy’s Place is seeking new volunteers! The next training session will begin on Saturday, February 5^th, 2022.  The training will take place over three days, with four hours of independent work and an upcoming Monthly Gathering.  The training will be held via Zoom with a in-person meet & greet at a later date.

Buddy’s Place. is Pillars Community Health’s childhood bereavement and grief support program for children ages 4-18 and their families. Volunteers help support grieving children and their families in a variety of ways, including being a greeter or a group facilitator. There are also opportunities for administrative/clerical types of projects as well.

Volunteers will participate in a training (approximately 20 hours) to learn how to support grieving families who have experienced the death of a loved one. Buddy’s Place offers children and their caregiver(s) a safe and supportive group where they can express their grief and learn coping skills with others who have experienced similar losses.

The training is free with a one-year volunteer commitment.  We ask that volunteers commit to facilitating an 8 Week Session or four (4) Monthly Gatherings a year.  The yearly time commitment for the 8 Week Session is 24 hours, and the Monthly Gatherings are 12 hours.   As part of the training, you will also submit information for a background check that is provided by Pillars Community Health. All volunteers must also submit their vaccination status. 

All interested participants must fill out the Buddy’s Place program application and training time preference sheet. Click here to download the Buddy’s Place volunteer form.

Please return your application to Buddy’s Place Director Michelle Halm at mhalm@pchcares.org no later than January 28th.  We will also need two letters of recommendation. Click here to download the letter of recommendation guidelines. The letters should also be sent to Michelle Halm no later than January 28th.  

Training Dates & Times (Participants must attend each session listed below):

• Saturday, February 5, 9am – 1pm
• Sunday, February 6, 9am – 1pm
• Monday, February 7, 5:30pm – 8:30pm
• Independent Work – 4 hours
• Upcoming Monthly Gathering (February 14 or March 14), 5pm – 8pm (tentatively scheduled for in-person at this time).
• Background check session – will be scheduled with our HR department

For more information on Buddy’s Place, please visit the Buddy’s Place webpage or contact Michelle Halm at mhalm@pchcares.org. 

Click here to learn more about volunteering with Buddy’s Place.