Hospital Magician
Volunteer Application
Please complete and:
1) Email application to: [email protected]
2) Fax application to: 312.277.3554
3) Mail application to: Attn: Diego Gonzalez
Open Heart Magic
300 W Adams St., Ste. 611
Chicago, IL 60606
Before you start, Open Heart Magic thanks you for expressing your interest in this position and for filling out this lengthy
application. Since the volunteer service involved is close-up magic in a hospital environment for children, you may be
asked for the same and/or more information from the partner hospital or hosting organization.
Position Desired: □ Volunteer Hospital Magician
□ Other
_________________________________________________
Referral Source: □ Idealist.org
□ Volunteermatch.org □ Facebook □ OHM Website □ Chicagovolunteer.net
□ Other
If Other, then please note source or individual: ________________________________________________
Name: _____________________________________________ Email: ________________________________________
Last, First, Middle
Address: _________________________________________________________________________________________
Street
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip Code
Telephone: (home)______________________________________ (work)______________________________________
How often are you interested in Volunteering per week?
□ 1x per month □ Every other week □ 1x per week
□ Other _________________________________________
Which weekly time slots would match your availability? (Days of week & time) ___________________________________
Where do you currently work? _________________________________________________________________________
How long have you been employed there? _______________________________________________________________
Since you’ll be working in a hospital environment and interacting with children, you will be required to submit to a thorough
background investigation ($40 volunteer fee), blood, drug & TB tests, flu shots, & immunizations if they’re not up to date.
Is this acceptable? □ Yes □ No
Because volunteer orientations are held by the individual hospitals you may be required to go to an orientation on a week
day, during business hours, or potentially on a weekend.
Can you commit to this? □ Yes □ No
Because of the above situation, you will be required to learn and follow Open Heart Magic and hospital guidelines regarding patient privacy, patient interaction, correct hospital procedures, best practices for magic therapy to empower the
patients, as well as some other guidelines.
Are you willing to commit to this? □ Yes □ No
As many hospital staff members will talk to patients about your planned visits in order to give them something to look
forward to seeing and experiencing, any cancellation within 24 hours of your planned service will dash many hopes and
create disappointment among the kids and young adults Open Heart Magic is trying to empower.
Are you willing to commit to not canceling within 24 hours of your service slot? □ Yes □ No
Open Heart Magic is dedicated to creating laughter and astonishment by engaging the spectator with in-your-hands type
magic that is focused on the spectator with the spectator doing the magic. Specific routines and interaction techniques will
be used to focus the magic on the spectator while being very visual and astonishing.
Are you willing to learn and perform these routines as presented? □ Yes □ No
Open Heart Magic is dedicated to empowering young patients in pediatric units. Due to the high hospital demand for
hospital magicians as well as the high number of applications received from those interested in volunteering with Open
Heart Magic, if you’re selected then you will fill one of the limited spots to provide magic therapy to kids. If you drop out
early, then hospitals and their young patients who otherwise would receive magic, will have to go without. Because of this
important and sensitive need, the minimum volunteer commitment is 12 months of active service, which does not include
the 12-week training program nor hospital screening process time.
Are you willing to commit to at least 12 months of consistent service? □ Yes □ No
One of Open Heart Magic’s greatest strengths is in the ability of its magicians to reach children who have become isolated
due to fear and feelings of helplessness as a result of their illness or medical trauma. Though you will develop a solid base
of skills during the introductory 12-week training, you will need to continue to learn additional magic and additional child
life skills to increase your ability to engage and help kids and work with long term patients who you will see numerous
times. To fulfill this on-going training need, you will be required to attend quarterly meetings held on Wednesday evenings
and on-going trainings to polish your performance ability, learn new techniques, explain success stories as well as difficult
experiences, and share your knowledge with the group to improve the organization. You will also be required to pass an
annual performance evaluation to ensure that kids are receiving the strongest positive engagement.
Are you willing to commit to participating in these activities and meet these expectations? □ Yes □ No
It takes a village to build the support for a nonprofit organization and fund our programs. Are you willing to help outside of
bedside magic service either helping with a project, special events, operations, special performances, fund-raising, etc?
□ Yes □ No
Do you have any criminal history of any sort? □ Yes □ No
If yes, state nature of offense, when, where and disposition: _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1) Really, why do you want to do this, assuming we all love kids? What do you hope to gain from being a Hospital Magician?
2) Do you have access to reliable transportation and are able to attend the 12-week training in the city of Chicago as well
as regular hospital service, meetings/trainings in the city?
3) Do you have any performance or public presentation experience of any sort? If so, then please list and briefly describe:
4) Are you in the process of planning ANY major life changes in the next 12 months including new schooling, changed
career, etc. that may affect your ability to finish training and/or provide service to kids at your partner hospital? Have you
experienced any major life changes as listed above (or others) in the past 12 months? If so, please note:
5) Do you have any experience or familiarity with magic? If so, then please list magic known. If not, then please list strongest memory of experiencing or seeing magic.
6) Do you have any volunteer, hospital or child service experience? If so, then please list and describe:
7) What is your profession/current work position/what are you currently doing and where?
8) How often do you travel? If often, do you have control over your travel schedule?
9) Please briefly list employers and work experience from the last 5 years plus anything relevant:
10) Please list any additional skills you possess relevant to Open Heart Magic:
11) Please note anything else that Open Heart Magic should know about you:
I acknowledge that any false information I provide on this application will be sufficient cause for elimination from Open
Heart Magic consideration and/or active service.
Volunteer Candidate’s SignatureDate