Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital is offering training for volunteers who would like to in spiritual care at the hospital.  Spiritual Care Services Manager, David Swetman, says the classes will help volunteers deal with the unexpected, "A big part of the class is going to be focused on just plain raising your self awareness, so that you know what things trigger you, you know what things are going to be things that might be areas that you might be looking at or seeing. Any pitfalls that might be there because of your own personal biography,

Swetman says he's looking for people who are comfortable with themselves, "You know I'm looking for people that are positive people.  I'm looking for people that have had some life experience, and have gotten to a place of being emotionally healthy themselves. I really also like to have people that are on a spiritual path of some kind."

Swetman stresses that volunteers will help to fill spiritual, not necessarily religious, needs of patients.  The classes begin February 16th and run through May4th, on Tuesday evenings from six-thirty to eight-thirty.  You can reach Swetman by calling Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital's main number and asking for him.