Volunteering

It has been said that a volunteer is a person who remembers to do the things that makes others happy, a person who takes the loneliness out of those who are lonely, a person who is concerned when others are unconcerned.

Erlanger Baroness Auxiliary

The Erlanger Auxiliary started the volunteer tradition in 1934 after Mrs. Richard Kimball visited the hospital and found nurses washing linens in tin tubs. She immediately started asking churches and civic groups for help recruiting volunteers and donating dollars to fund much needed equipment and supplies to Erlanger.

Some of the Auxiliary’s earliest contributions were to run errands for patients, mend worn linens and write letters, but they soon extended their effort to raising funds for new equipment and supplies. In 1950, the Auxiliary purchased a station wagon to help transport nurses to the hospital as well as Children’s Hospital at Erlanger patients to Erlanger for therapy. They also began a new service of taking pictures of newborns, a service the Auxiliary still manages today.  

Today, the Auxiliary continues as the only volunteer group dedicated solely to Erlanger.  Each year more than 800 volunteers, including 200 summer VounTEENS, transport patients by wheelchair, assist family members with directions, cuddle babies in the NICU, visit patients in their rooms, run the Erlanger Gift Shop and so much more.  More than 100,000 hours of valuable time and talents are shared with the health system and the community.  Many of Erlanger's volunteers are college students getting their first look and experience in their future careers at the region's only teaching hospital and children's hospital.

The Auxiliary is also committed to furthering Erlanger's mission financially. Volunteers work to raise money through the Auxiliary Gift Shop, a uniform store, newborn baby photos and special sales. In 2013, the Auxiliary donated and/or pledged more than $300,000 to Erlanger for much-needed equipment, supplies and services. Recent Auxiliary grants have included updating the Critical Care Family Lounge, renovating the chapel at Erlanger Baroness Hospital, SUVs for LIFE FORCE, Mamava Lactation Pod at Erlanger East, and a $1 million pledge to Children’s Hospital at Erlanger. 

Would you like to be a part of this strong and caring adult volunteer group? Please take a look at the many wonderful volunteer opportunities as well as the requirements listed below and apply online.

Service Learning Program

Erlanger’s Service Learning Program provides volunteers experience in our real-life classrooms here at Erlanger Health. Current college students, recent graduates, and anyone looking to gain experience in healthcare are welcome to apply to the Service Learning Program.

With volunteer opportunities available in both clinical and non-clinical areas, students of many fields of study will learn valuable skills and insights about the many rewarding careers in healthcare.

Service Learning Requirements and Benefits:

• Volunteers must be at least 18 years old. (Please look below for information about our summer VolunTEEN program for students between the ages of 15 and 18.)
• Background checks, TB tests and proof of immunizations are all required before becoming a volunteer.
• Applicants must complete volunteer orientation, which includes HIPAA training.
• Volunteers must receive annual flu vaccines.
• The volunteer uniform shirt is $20. If this cost is a hardship, please let us know.
• College student volunteers must commit to giving at least four hours of their time at least once a week for a minimum of two consecutive semesters.
• Adult volunteers not enrolled in college must commit to giving at least four hours of their time at least once a week for a minimum of six months.
• Volunteers serving on either the Baroness or Erlanger East campuses will receive a complimentary meal plan.
• Volunteers will receive free parking. This is available on all Erlanger campuses.

The Service Learning Program operates on a semester-based schedule. Applications submitted after the due dates below will be considered for the following semester.

• Spring Semester (January – May), Due date: MLK Day
• Summer Semester (May – August), Due Date: Memorial Day
• Fall Semester (August – December), Due Date: Labor Day

VolunTEENS

Applications for the 2023 VolunTEEN program are no longer being accepted. Please check back to apply for next year.

Every summer, Erlanger  hosts VolunTEENs, a six-week summer program that allows high school students to directly support our staff and patients. VolunTEENs have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and exposure in the region’s only teaching hospital. Both clinical and non-clinical areas are open to the VolunTEENs, giving them a chance to help others, to see what a hospital is all about, and, for many, to confirm their aspirations to pursue a career in medicine.

The VolunTEENs program runs for six weeks in June and July every summer. Applications open March 1st and interviews are held in April. The program is available at six Erlanger Health locations: Baroness, East, North, Sequatchie, Bledsoe, and Western Carolina.