Contribute Volunteer

Brigid’s Path offers a number of volunteer opportunities. Please review the descriptions to decide which you are most interested in:

• Volunteer Cuddler
  • Assist nursing staff to allow nurses to focus more directly on patient clinical care
  • Assist with therapeutic handling aspect of baby care such as holding, cuddling and soothing
  • Provide a welcoming environment for families and visitors, must be non-judgmental
  • *Please be aware that this is our most popular option and there may be a wait list for volunteer hours. 

• Volunteer Admin Support
  • Answer phones
  • Escort moms to nurseries
  • Welcome visitors
  • Set up for meeting
  • Make copies and assembling packets
  • Provide on-site event support
  • Answer emails, call clients or donors

• Volunteer Event Support
  • Attend community events and share information about Brigid’s Path
  • Assist with speaking engagements
  • Help organize and execute signature fundraising events like GROW (spring), JOY (December), and Putting for a Path Forward (golf outing end of summer)
  • Help with alumni family events like Valentine’s Day, Easter Egg Hunt, Mother’s Day Brunch, Family Reunion, Trunk or Treat, and/or Christmas Party

Priority will be given to volunteers who can offer broad or flexible availability. Currently, we are unable to accommodate student volunteers seeking hours to fulfill academic or program requirements.

All volunteers who are volunteering in our facility with access to babies will be expected to:

• Be age 18 and older
• Be able to relate easily to babies, families and staff
• Love babies!
• Have calm attitude, be polite and dependable
• Maintain confidentiality of children, families and staff
• Remain patient and be non-judgmental
• Be able to process information accurately, work with the public, possess excellent communication and listening skills
• Be able to walk and carry unassisted
• Be able to bend down and pick up 10-15 lbs
• Be in good health and have good hygiene
• Be willing to be flexible and assist in a variety of capacities such as laundry
• Be in compliance with all requirement and guidelines of Brigid’s Path, and role-specific orientation training.
• Abide by the Brigid’s Path volunteer code of ethics and dress code.
• Commit to a minimum of 100 hours per year, most shifts will be in 3- or 4-hour increments. Specific requirements will depend on the position.
• Support bonding between babies and moms or other caregivers
• Complete required training. (a midweek, evening 3 hour session and a midweek, daytime 1.5 hour session).
• Not wear perfume, scented lotions, and/or aftershave.
• Not be a smoker or smell of smoke.
• Leave cell phones in secured locker when volunteering in clinical area.
• Provide health documentation for required vaccinations/titers: Tdap, MMR, Varicella, Flu shot.
• Provide health documentation for required vaccinations/titers: Tdap, MMR, Varicella, Flu shot.
• At your own expense, complete a state background check with fingerprinting and a federal background check with fingerprinting. In addition, ODJFS requires us to conduct an OSAPS check and a NSPOW check on every volunteer.
  • Per OAC 5101:2-5-09, a violation of any of the following sections of the ORC will disqualify an individual from volunteering at Brigid’s Path.
  • 959.13, 2903.01, 2903.02, 2903.03, 2903.04, 2903.11, 2903.12, 2903.13, 2903.15, 2903.16, 2903.21, 2903.211, 2903.22, 2903.34, 2905.01, 2905.02, 2905.05, 2907.02, 2907.03, 2907.04, 2907.05, 2907.06, 2907.07, 2907.08, 2907.09, 2907.21, 2907.22, 2907.23, 2907.25, 2907.31, 2907.32, 2907.321 (2907.32.1), 2907.322 (2907.32.2), 2907.323 (2907.32.3), 2909.02, 2909.03, 2909.22, 2909.23, 2909.24, 2911.01, 2911.02, 2911.11, 2911.12, 2913.49, 2919.12, 2917.01, 2917.02, 2919.22https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2919.22, 2919.24https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2919.24, 2919.25, 2923.12, 2923.13, 2923.161 (2923.16.1), 2925.02, 2925.03, 2925.04, 2925.05, 2925.06, 2927.12 or 3716.11

• Receive delegations and requests for nursing staff assigned to baby
• Provide companionship and comfort to babies
• Assist in bottle feeding babies only after Bottle Feed Training is complete, as delegated by staff
• Communicate with nursing staff and other volunteers to optimize care for babies
• Welcome all families and visitors at Brigid’s Path
• Maintain environmental cleanliness and safety of babies rooms, unit and equipment
• Assist in creating the idea baby healing experience by being respectful and compassionate with each family, supporting moms and caregivers in bonding with baby
• Report concerns about baby and/or families to nursing staff
• Always follow proper handwashing techniques and isolation procedures

• Do diaper changes
• Bath babies
• Do sterile or non-sterile procedures
• Complete clinical-only Finnegan scoring
• Phone physician or take/transcribe physician orders
• Administer medications
• Perform any type of test
• Do dressing changes/apply dressings
• Perform patient teaching to family
• Provide a nursing report
• Participate in emergency situations
• Do suctioning
• Counsel families

If any action is performed outside of a volunteer’s scope, dismissal will occur immediately.