Volunteer

Volunteers must be 18 or older.

As a Kate’s Kart volunteer, you and a partner will push a fully-stocked Kart through the hospital, offering free books to pediatric patients to keep and take home.

As a Kart Pusher, you’re a trusted representative of Kate’s Kart in the hospital. During your shift, you and a partner will:

• Roll a fully-stocked book Kart to each designated pediatric area and offer brand-new books to patients (and siblings who are present) to keep and take home.
• Be prepared to briefly explain what Kate’s Kart is and why we give new books—though many returning families already recognize the program.
• Follow hospital and Kate’s Kart guidelines for privacy (HIPAA), infection control, and appropriate interactions—all outlined in the Volunteer Handbook.

Physical Demands: Because the Kart can be heavy and the shift involvesa lot of walking/standing, volunteers should be comfortable with light physical activity.

Scheduling: Kart Pushers are scheduled monthly by our Volunteer Schedulers, and shifts are posted 2–6 weeks in advance on the Kate’s Kart volunteer calendar. We ask for a once-per-month commitment and dependable communication by email.

Shift Length: ~1 hour (Lutheran/Dupont) or up to ~2 hours (Parkview Regional Medical Center), depending on patient volume.

• Lutheran Hospital runs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
• Dupont Hospital runs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
• PRMC runs Monday through Saturday

(Other hospitals we serve distribute books through nurses/staff and do not require Kart Pusher volunteers.)

Yes. We also need Office/Warehouse Support – helping with tasks like sorting, labeling, organizing, and preparing books and supplies. Please note that children are not permitted with parents/volunteers while working in the office.

We love group support – thank you! At this time, we’re not able to host large groups in our office/warehouse for volunteer shifts. Our space is limited and is already staffed daily by regular volunteers, which allows us to keep up with sorting and labeling books.

Great ways for groups to make an impact include:

• Hosting a brand-new drive or fund drive
• Organizing a workplace, school, or community fundraiser
• Scheduling a tour or presentation to learn more about Kate’s Kart

If you’re planning a drive, please contact us first – we’ll share our most-needed book types and make it easy to collect what helps kids most.

Start by completing the Volunteer Application. After we receive it, we’ll contact you with next steps. We are happy to speak with you first on the phone or via email.