Spiritual Support - Volunteers offer prayer, Scripture reading, and Eucharistic visits.

Companionship - They provide a consistent, caring presence - listening, conversing, and simply being there.

Practical Help - Assisting with errands, meals, mobility, or coordinating medical visits.

Emotional Care - Offering comfort during illness, grief, or isolation.

Connection to Church - They serve as a bridge between homebound individuals and the wider church community.

Volunteers are not just “doing tasks” - they’re being with. In many cases, their presence affirms the worth of those who may feel forgotten. “This ministry of Pastoral Care brings Church to people”.

This includes:

Volunteers visiting homes and hospitals.

Intergenerational outreach - students befriending seniors during events.

Listening ministries - volunteers offering empathetic, nonjudgmental presence.

TUC asks volunteers to:

Understand confidentiality and consent.

Respect facility rules when visiting hospitals or care homes.

Know when to refer to clergy for sacraments like Anointing of the Sick.

Volunteers often find that this ministry deepens their own faith. Caring for the vulnerable becomes a spiritual practice - an encounter with Christ in the “least of these” (Matthew 25:40).