what is hospice cicely program

The Cicely Program

The Cicely Program is a youth volunteer program designed and initiated by Heart 'n Home Hospice & Palliative Care. The Cicely Program was named after Dame Cicely Saunders, who founded the modern hospice movement and started a worldwide crusade to provide compassionate care for the terminally ill. Continue the vision and mission of Dame Cicely Saunders Educate youth about hospice and end-of-life care Build stronger ties between neighbors and peers Create a sense of self-worth and value for youth The Cicely Program instills the value of volunteerism and bridges the generational gap between youth and the elderly as it promotes integrity by teaching and encouraging honesty, the value of effective communication, passion, follow-through, and leadership.

Cicely Ambassador Team

An integral piece of the Cicely Program is the Cicely Ambassador Team, a group of elite high school students focused on making a difference in their community. The Heart 'n Home Cicely Program Coordinator works closely with local high school administrators and counselors to provide education to students on end-of-life care, health care career paths, and opportunities available t hrough the Cicely Program. Each year, up to six students are nominated by participating high school counselors and/or leadership teachers to serve as members of the Cicely Ambassador Team. Cicely Ambassadors commit to one year of service and volunteer an hour each week by visiting hospice patients and setting an example of integrity and leadership within their schools and amongst their peers..

Cicely Ambassadors also design and implement at least two service opportunities that focus on their local community, healthcare, and senior citizens. The Ambassadors are an inspiration of leadership as they focus on a positive "can-do" attitude of impacting those around them. Over the past three years, the Cicely Ambassador Team has had phenomenal success. Their projects and have received tremendous support from local youth and senior citizens who participate in their efforts to bridge the generational gap and build relationships within their communities. Some of their service opportunities have included a book drive for hospice patients that gathered 1500 leisure reading books, food drive for Meals on Wheels gathering approximately 5,000 meals, senior citizen movie nights, as well as hosting annual Senior Citizen Community Dances in each of their communities. Contact us at 1-800-HOSPICE (1-800-467-7423) or look at our News and Events Page for a list of upcoming Cicely Ambassador Service Opportunities.

The culmination of the Cicely Ambassador Team year provides opportunities for all participating high school seniors to earn college scholarships sponsored by Heart 'n Home Hospice & Palliative Care. Over the past three years, Heart 'n Home has awarded over $32,000 in college scholarships to worthy Cicely Ambassadors.

Contact us

Heart 'n Home Hospice & Palliative Care provides hospice services to patients throughout Idaho's Treasure Valley and surrounding communities as well as Malheur, Baker, and Union Counties in Oregon. All Heart 'n Home Offices are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with on-call availability 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Contact us today at any of our five offices, or simply call 1-800-HOSPICE for a free, no obligation, in-home visit or for additional information. We can help you get the assistance needed to stay comfortable and in your home!