Blog

Volunteer glimpses

It’s a fast-paced world. We are used to reading headlines… or posting things in 14 words or less… for some it’s snap-chatting, or tweeting andinsta-gramming. But every once in a while it’s necessary to stop and take it all in. That’s what makes watching Home Hospice volunteers “do their thing” so amazing! Whether they have one hour or 400 hours to give, you get that they recognize the importance of sharing their time and talent with others. In order to ensure patient privacy, it’s hard to share all the details, but know that I am always humbled by them… We can offer small glimpses though.

  • When a patient’s spouse looks you in the eyes and says, “I just hate it when it’s the Tuesday you don’t bring Rafi (our Patient Paws pup) to visit us.”
  • When a patient’s daughter calls to ask whether her father’s volunteer would be willing to be a pallbearer.
  • When a normally non-communicative nursing facility resident cries and tries to join in as we sing Amazing Grace.
  • When another nursing facility resident sings Christmas carols through his oxygen mask, determined to take part in the joy of the season.
  • When a patient’s wife says, “Thank you for sending us those beautiful cards in the mail every month, you don’t know how much they mean.”
  • When a patient’s daughter recognizes her father’s volunteer at his funeral, pulls the volunteer aside, and introduces her to everyone in the family, so they know the impact she had in their loved one’s life.
  • When a patient and his wife tell us it feels like the world has abandoned them, and ask, “When can you come back to visit with us again?”

These moments can fill a soul. It’s why we really mean it when we say – Home Hospice… It’s about living.