Since the founding of Zen Hospice Project in 1988, the Volunteer Caregiving Program has been at the heart of our model of care. It serves as the foundation of everything we do and teach today as Zen Caregiving Project. Our program emphasizes a mindful, human-centered approach in which the spiritual and emotional needs of those we care for are primary.

All our volunteers are carefully screened, interviewed, and trained. The initial volunteer training, which includes over 40 hours of in-person learning, is highly experiential and explores the emotional and practical issues of serving in a healthcare environment.

Weekly service includes on-going supervision, support from a community of like-minded individuals, and on-going training sessions.
We train volunteers to serve with a range of skills grounded in practices of mindfulness and compassion.
For over thirty years, Zen Hospice Project volunteer caregivers have had a presence at Laguna Honda Hospital. Our volunteers carry on that legacy of service as Zen Caregiving Project by continuing to serve on the Palliative Care Ward, providing emotional support for persons living with chronic and terminal illnesses, their friends and family, and clinical staff.

Our Volunteer Caregiving Program has emerged as one of the longest continuously running volunteer hospice and palliative care programs in the country.
While volunteers are required to commit to one year of service, our average volunteer term is five years with many volunteers serving for a decade or more.
Our Volunteers
Zen Caregiving volunteers have been a cornerstone of our caregiving model for almost three decades. We are grateful for the generosity and deep commitment that all of our volunteers bring to their service.
Alison Hunter Andrés López Andrew DeCoriolis Andy Wolfe Audrey Meinertzerhagen Beth Beaulieu Beth Gorelick Bethany Becker Bob Andrews Bob Stumpf Bonnie Howe Brian Rink Carly Loveman Crystal Gurr Darren Cox David Maxwell Deborah Johnsen Dharam Kaur Khalsa Dhiraj Korwani Dorothy Wismar Elisabeth Garst Ellah Ray Gaylen Berse Gina Alvino |
Hadas Rin Heidi Hartsough Hephzibah Plotkin Jan-Marie Bannon Jane Squire Jane Yen Jim Morein Joan Amonette John Rubin Judy Tang Kathleen Harlow Kelly McVicker Kristin Bowers Laurent de Bord Linda Beenau Linda Kaufman Linda Martin Linda Switzer Lindsay Wheeler Loretta Lowrey Lori Saltzman Margaret Schroder Mary Ann Slane |
Mary Scott Mayoor Steinberg Melissa Kay Meredith Groves M.V. Rao Nannette Mickle Naomi Stoll Olive Loew Patty Dugan Paul Armstrong Phil Garrity Rhonda Rogers San Ng Skip Foppert Shanaugh Dely Stephanie Wei Steve McKinney Timo Navsky Vanessa Callison-Burch Wendy Botwin Will Meecham Will Rogers Yanli Wang Zoi Hall |
Bloom Project Volunteers
Carol Charlton Cynthia Hogan Henry Ostendorf |
Janice Polizzi Jill Rosenthal Joan Amonette |
Larisa Minerva Lynn Rose Morales |