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LEWISTON — Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice has scheduled its next session of specialized training for volunteers from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursdays from Sept. 14 through Nov. 2 at 15 Strawberry Ave.

Volunteers provide companionship and support to hospice patients and their loved ones at the Hospice House in Auburn, Togus Veterans Affairs Hospital in Augusta or patient homes and nursing facilities.

The program leads to additional opportunities as well. For example, a team of hospice-trained volunteers provides a weekly phone check-in with home-based hospice patients and their caregivers. Hospice volunteer training is also the first step for individuals interested in assisting with Camp Dragonfly, the daylong camp for grieving children and their families.

In addition, one-day training for more generalized volunteers is slated from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22, at the Lewiston office. Volunteers are sought to help with many tasks, including transporting patients to medical appointments, picking up medications or groceries, assisting with meal preparation at the Hospice House, welcoming visitors to the Hospice House or assorted office tasks.

Anyone interested in either training should call 207-795-9580 or 1-800-482-7412, ext. 1280, to schedule a brief phone screening and begin the application process. Individuals interested in hospice training need to call by Friday, Aug. 25, and those interested in the more generalized training must call no later than Friday, Sept. 1.

The training, background check and TB testing are provided at no cost to volunteers. AHCH asks that volunteers commit at least two hours a week over the next year.

Volunteers are needed for placement throughout the agency’s service area, which includes Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties, northern Cumberland County and parts of Kennebec, Sagadahoc and Somerset counties.

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