VNA Health Volunteers

04/24/2026

Volunteer Appreciation Month continues 💙

Our VNA Health staff put together a special message to thank our incredible volunteers. Watch below.

04/17/2026

This week’s Solvang volunteer support meeting focused on anticipatory grief and self-compassion, offering meaningful tools to support others with compassion while also caring for ourselves.

04/07/2026

We love it when Volunteer David Sparer stops by the VNA Health office in Santa Barbara 😊

David makes his rounds saying hello to staff and always brings a big bag of chocolates—which, let’s be honest, never lasts long around here 🍫

Pictured here with our wonderful nurse Cathy Austin, his visits always bring smiles and a little extra sweetness to the day.

Thank you, David, for always thinking of us!

03/21/2026

Good things grow with a little care 🌱 Our volunteers helped create these little succulents to remind us all to care well, feel well, and live well. And a special shoutout to our wonderful community partner, Ace Hardware, for providing the plants and pots that made it all possible. 🌿

03/20/2026

To our teen and college student volunteers, enjoy your Spring Break! You deserve it after all you do for VNA Health and your studies. We truly couldn’t do this without you. Thank you for all that you do!

03/17/2026

Behind the scenes at the Loan Closet 💙

These busy volunteers are helping keep durable medical equipment clean, repaired, and ready for our community. One is reassembling equipment after it has been deep cleaned and dried by staff, while the other, an engineer by profession, is using his skills to repair equipment for future use.

We are so grateful for the time, skill, and care they share.

03/16/2026

"I believe in the mission that VNA Health has; it supports my vision of helping people."
Don Reif volunteers in the Loan Closet using his experience in engineering to help repair donated and returned Loan Closet items.
When Don is not volunteering with us, he provides free PTSD coaching alongside his daughter- freePTSDhelp.com

03/04/2026

North County Volunteer Meeting in Solvang 🌿

We had a wonderful monthly volunteer meeting with special guest speaker Chef Fabio from Serenity House.

One takeaway that really resonated: while we practice good boundaries, it’s also natural to feel a connection with the people we serve—so self-care matters. For Fabio, a trip to the beach helps him reset and recharge.

02/26/2026

02/26/2026

"I started to volunteer at Serenity House as a thank you for the wonderful hospice care my mother received. Being a part of Serenity House is a gift which enriches my life every day."

Jo Bardsely creates flower bouquets at Serenity House once a week, with the flowers that get donated by the Dream Foundation She customizes them based on the patients' preference of color or flower type.

02/09/2026

💙 Volunteer Spotlight 💙

This weekend, Solvang volunteer Maddy Stone (pictured on the right) joined our team at a community resource fair, representing VNA Health alongside our marketing staff.

Maddy is one of our dedicated patient care volunteers and also a member of our flower delivery team, creating and delivering beautiful bouquets that bring comfort and joy to our hospice patients. 🌸

We’re so grateful for volunteers like Maddy who show up for our patients and our community in so many meaningful ways. Thank you for all that you do!

Thank you for hosting 2-1-1 day! We are proud to be a part of this community 💙🧡💚💜

01/30/2026

💜 This week, 15 volunteers from our Solvang and Santa Barbara teams completed a 3-week training series with the Alzheimer's Association, California Central Coast Chapter joining both in person and via Zoom.

Thank you to facilitators Debbie Brown and Luciana Mitzkun for sharing their expertise and compassionate approach to dementia care.

The training focused on understanding dementia, communication strategies, and meaningful ways volunteers can support quality of life and connection.