Now Accepting Applications

Become a BVP Advocate

Join the next class of trained volunteers, be the presence that changes someone’s hardest day

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

~ Galatians 6:2

Why This Matters

Many patients in hospitals and care facilities go days without a visitor. You can change that.

When you put on your Bedside Village t-shirt and step into a hospital room, you are not just volunteering. You are becoming the hands and feet of Christ in one of the loneliest places a person can find themselves.

Your presence, unhurried, warm, and genuinely caring, is itself the work. A scripture card or a small note is just a way of leaving the visit behind once you have gone.

Ways to Serve

Choose the role that fits your schedule, skills, and calling.

On-Site

Presence and Prayer Team

Sit with patients, caregivers, and waiting-room families in hospitals, nursing homes, and rehab centers. Listen. Pray with those who want prayer. Be present for those who do not have words.

  • No medical experience required
  • Visits are 1-3 hours, scheduled in advance
  • Always serve in pairs, never alone
  • Brief training on hospital etiquette and prayer at the bedside
Off-Site

Prayer Card and Resource Team

Help from your kitchen table. Write encouragement notes, prepare scripture-card packets, and help us keep our resource library (prayer guide, hospital companion, grief journey) ready for families in crisis.

  • Done from home or your church small group
  • No facility clearance required
  • Ideal for groups of 4 to 20 people
  • Materials and templates provided by ECO
Flexible

Wherever You’re Needed

Have a gift you do not see listed? We need event-day helpers, social-media support, drivers, translators (Kreyol and Francais especially), and prayer warriors who quietly cover every visit. Tell us how God has wired you.

  • Match your gifts to where the need is
  • One-time, monthly, or ongoing commitment
  • We will follow up within 3 business days
  • Family- and youth-group-friendly options available

Note: our seasonal Christmas Gift Program is on pause for 2026 and will be reassessed in October. If you are interested in being notified when it reopens, mention it in your application below.

What Volunteers Bring

Bedside Village is built on presence, not products. Volunteers carry a few simple, lightweight items that help them connect well at the bedside.

ECO Business Cards

Leave one with every patient or family member who wants follow-up. They carry the website and a way to reach us.

Pocket Scripture Cards

A short printed scripture and prayer to offer gently. Most people in a medical setting welcome it; some keep it on the bedside table for weeks.

Mini Notepad & Pen

For families to jot questions for doctors, medication names, or notes between rounds. Often more useful than anything else you carry.

A Listening Ear

The most important thing you bring. Ask one open question, then sit quietly. Most patients have not been heard in days.

A Prepared Heart

Spend a few minutes praying before you walk into a room. The Spirit often guides the visit more than the agenda you arrived with.

Who Can Volunteer

We actively recruit from three groups, each brings different gifts to the work.

High School Students

Ages 16+ (or 14+ with a parent co-volunteer)

Earn community service hours for graduation, NHS, college applications, or personal faith. We provide a certificate of service and reference letters.

  • Always paired with an adult lead volunteer
  • Best for basket assembly, snack prep, gift wrapping
  • Most schools accept Bedside Village for service hours

College Students

Especially pre-nursing, social work, pre-med, psychology

Build your resume with documented, meaningful service experience. Many programs require service-learning hours, we can be an approved placement.

  • Can take on more leadership responsibility
  • Eligible to lead waiting room visits after orientation
  • Documentation provided for academic portfolios

Adult Volunteers

All adults welcome, retired professionals especially valued

Retired healthcare workers, social workers, and chaplains bring invaluable insight. Couples can serve together. Adults serve as lead volunteers and team coordinators.

  • Featured in ECO newsletters and social media
  • Invited to annual volunteer appreciation event
  • Opportunity to grow into program leadership roles

Your Path to Becoming a BVP Advocate

Seven steps from application to your first bedside visit. Every advocate goes through the same training, because the families we serve deserve our best.

1

Complete the Volunteer Interest Form

Fill out the application below. Tell us which roles interest you and a little about yourself.

2

Attend a Bedside Village Orientation

Monthly sessions offered in-person or virtually. Learn about our work, the facilities we serve, and what to expect.

3

Complete a Background Check

Required for all volunteers serving in medical facilities. The cost is covered by ECO Relationships.

4

Complete BVP Advocate Training

All volunteers must complete the BVP Advocate Training Program covering patient interaction, HIPAA basics, comfort kit protocols, spiritual care, and facility-specific requirements.

5

Receive Your Kit

Pick up your Bedside Village t-shirt, scripture-card pack, and name badge at your first volunteer assembly event.

6

Serve Your First Two Visits With a Lead Volunteer

You are never sent alone your first time. An experienced volunteer walks with you and answers your questions.

7

You Are Officially a BVP Advocate

After two supervised visits, you are cleared to serve independently. Welcome to the team.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
~ Ephesians 2:10

Volunteer Application

Ready to join? The full application takes about 5 minutes. We will be in touch within 3,5 business days.

Become a BVP Advocate

The application covers your background, availability, emergency contact, and the required acknowledgments (background check, training, code of conduct). Everything is kept confidential.

Service Area: To start, Bedside Village serves Jacksonville (Duval County) and St Johns County, Florida only.
Start the Application →

Accepted applicants will be invited to the next training cohort. You are never sent alone on your first visits.

“The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.’”
~ Jeremiah 31:3