continued We have also found that there is an increase in those interested in volunteering now. After a year of isolation for some, they are eager to get out and give back. Start planning volunteer orientations to " restock " your volunteer pool. We have found orientations on Zoom to be very successful and still interactive when numbers are kept under 25 participants. In summary, following some or all of these guidelines will make sure that your volunteer pool is ready to go and that your organization's expectations are in line with the resources available. 1. Survey them to see if they are willing to return and what they are willing to do 2. Identify training needs 3. Create processes to instill confidence in the volunteers such as joint visits 4. Identify safe, low risk ways to return and gradually open up 5. Begin to plan for onboarding of new volunteers These steps will help to make sure you are ready when the CMS waivers expire and the 5% requirement is back in play. After a year of isolation for some, they are eager to get out and give back. Stacy Groff is the Vice President of Specialized Services (Veterans Program, Volunteer Program, and Complementary Therapies) at Tidewell Hospice. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Music Therapy from Temple University and a Masters Degree in Nonprofit Management from University of Central Florida. She also serves as the MyNHPCO Volunteer Management Section Leader, Vice Chair of the MyNHPCO Executive Committee, and chairs the MyNHPCO Awards Committee. 16 Newsline / Summer 2021