Adult and young adult volunteer FAQs

Most volunteers participate on a regular schedule once a week, a few times a week or monthly for a shift of 3 or more hours. Your individual schedule will depend on the nature of your assignment and your personal availability.

The volunteer “onboarding process” (consisting of application, references, interview, clearances, orientation and specific department training) can take anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks. Onboarding must be completed before the start of service. 

Unfortunately, Geisinger does not participant in court-ordered community service programs.

Applying for a volunteer position and obtaining the needed clearances for volunteering is done online and requires a personal email address. The Volunteer Services staff communicates with volunteers primarily by email because it is quick, free and efficient. We can help you set up a new email address if needed.

You can call Volunteer Services at 570-214-6021 to make arrangements to complete the application and required online clearance process in person at our office.

We’ll work with you to find an assignment that is meaningful for you and makes the most of your talents while being impactful for our staff and patients. At times, there is a waiting list for some roles and your first choice may not be available, but we’ll do our best to find a good fit for you.

All Geisinger volunteers are required to wear a volunteer uniform and a Geisinger name badge while serving so they’re easily identifiable. The volunteer uniform is a red shirt, which we supply free to all volunteers upon the start of their service. You’ll wear your red uniform top with navy, tan or gray pants and closed-toe shoes that you supply. 

Yes. We work with you to accommodate your schedule. For example, are you going on a trip or living in another state for a few months out of the year? That’s OK. Note: If you take a leave from service for 6 months or more, a new health screening is required to begin service again.

No. Volunteering is different than shadowing or observation. Volunteer Services does not arrange shadowing with hospital departments. Anyone interested in a shadowing or observation experience can contact the respective hospital department directly to arrange the experience. 

No. Volunteer Services does not arrange internships or cooperative learning experiences with hospital departments. Anyone interested in participating in a learning experience for school credit must contact Geisinger Human Resources at 570-271-6640 for information on these experiences. 

Yes. You must complete the background check/clearances through Geisinger unless you can provide the original, unexpired documents. Clearances are done at no cost to you. 

Yes. You may volunteer at different Geisinger locations as long as you work with the Volunteer Services team to make the needed arrangements with each location.