“When my mother was in the hospice home after her stroke, one of the things that truly brightened her day was a visit from the dogs that come with their owners to volunteer, visiting the patients,” said Jeanne Milholland.
Whether it’s bringing well-trained and certified dogs in to spend time with patients, staffing the information desk at the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home, collecting non-perishable food items for our food pantries or working in the gardens around our hospice homes, there are many opportunities to volunteer with the Hospice and Palliative CareCenter.
Volunteers play a very important role in our operations. With their help we are able to provide better care for our patients and their families, as well as providing lots of fun services and activities. We have a Sewing Circle that gets together to make aprons, neck pillows and wheelchair caddies, bingo volunteers who host bingo games at our hospice homes and bakers who supply our patients with wonderful birthday and anniversary cakes.
Volunteering for hospice is a rewarding experience that not only helps others, but also helps you. Helping others gets your mind of your own troubles, which can help combat feelings of depression. Researchers have even done studies that prove this. The London School of Economics studied the relationship between volunteering and measures of happiness, and found the more people volunteered, the happier they were. Compared with people who never volunteer, the odds of being “very happy” rose 12% for those who volunteer every two to four weeks. But we don’t need research to tell us that, we know from personal experience that coming in to volunteer at our wonderful organization makes you a happier person!
So why not start today? Volunteer Sessions are held regularly at all of our locations. Call 336-768-6157, ext. 1560, to find out dates and times available, and visit our Volunteer Opportunities to learn more about the different ways you can serve.