Celebrating Hospice Volunteers
Every April across the United States, organizations celebrate the importance of volunteers. This year, the week of April 15 to 22 has been set aside to thank those special individuals who give their time and talents to help others. At Chapters Health System, our hospice volunteers come in all shapes and sizes. People can volunteer at any age with a variety of opportunities available to them — patient and family support, office work, grief support and even thrift store help. So during National Volunteer Week, we are spotlighting a few hospice volunteers who play an integral part in our organization by bringing their gifts, skills and life experiences to us.
Hospice Volunteers at Sun City Center
After working for Olin Corporation for 30 years in Illinois, Hazel Johnson moved to Sun City Center in the 1990s and quickly discovered she needed more to keep her busy! When a friend passed peacefully under the care of hospice, she decided to check out what was then Hospice of Hillsborough County.
On July 5,, 1995, Hazel began her journey as a hospice volunteer and has continued to volunteer since then. Every Thursday morning for nearly 23 years, “Haze”— as she likes to be called — arrives at the Fred E. Wiswall Resource Center in Sun City Center ready to help with whatever needs to be done in the office. She assists with everything from filing medical records to mailing condolence cards for the Bereavement Department. Over the years, Haze has seen many developments at hospice, including company name changes, the opening of our first hospice house, electronic charting, etc.
On days that Haze is not busy with LifePath Hospice, she enjoys following the Tampa Bay Lightning and line dancing. When asked what she would like to be remembered for, Haze quickly responded, “compassion and caring.” After 23 years as a dedicated hospice volunteer, we are sure her wish will come true.
Robert (Bob) Nichols’ interest in volunteering has been a work in progress. He and his wife, Linda, retired to Florida from Massachusetts in 1997. In his former position as an engineer, Bob traveled extensively, so it is not surprising to learn that the couple lived on a sailboat in the Caribbean for several years until ultimately settling down in Sun City Center.
While Linda was active in several hospice organizations over the years, Bob was interested in a variety of other things. When Linda agreed to become the volunteer pantry manager for LifePath Hospice in 2015, Bob began to pay closer attention to her amazing dedication to the hospice philosophy. Volunteers and staff at the Wiswall Resource Center collect groceries for the pantry, which are then provided to hospice families in need. In March 2016, he became an office volunteer so he could help Linda in the pantry. As time went on, Bob spent more time in the pantry, not only filling orders but also stocking shelves.
Linda and LifePath Hospice Volunteer Coordinator Luanne Lane always encouraged Bob to expand his volunteer horizons and explore patient/family volunteer opportunities, but he said he preferred helping in the pantry. After learning that Bob enjoyed playing dominos in the Ukraine, Luanne approached him once again. She had a hospice patient who wanted someone to play dominos with him. The news hit home, and Bob agreed to complete patient/family training so he could enjoy dominos with the patient. A week ago, Bob was assigned to the patient, and now both men are enjoying their head-to-head domino battles.
Hospice Volunteers in Temple Terrace
With a successful 30-year career in banking, Bobbie Walker (lovingly called Ms. Bobbie) believes strongly in the power of service rendered. It is important to give 100 percent to helping others in need, which then carries over to looking at life with a positive outlook.
At 78 years of age, what would be Ms. Bobbie’s next adventure? Of course, it would be volunteering. She always wanted to volunteer but never had enough time while she was working and raising three boys as a single mom. It was now time for Ms. Bobbie to give a little.
In the eight years since becoming a hospice volunteer, Ms. Bobbie has provided more than 4,000 heartfelt service hours. From speaking engagements and helping in the office to visiting patients, she does it all. She was also part of the planning team that started the food pantry service in the Temple Terrace Resource Center for LifePath Hospice patients and families.
Ms. Bobbie has learned a lot from volunteering. She was taught card games she didn’t know, learned life lessons from a 103-year-old patient and received many hugs from appreciative patients and families. Ms. Bobbie realized that hospice volunteering is all about lending an ear and just being yourself.
It’s pretty simple for Ms. Bobbie. “Volunteering for hospice is a wonderful way to spend my retirement years, basking in the joy of helping others who need the help.”
How to Volunteer
If these stories strike a chord, please consider becoming a volunteer for Chapters Health at any of our affiliates—Good Shepherd Hospice, HPH Hospice and LifePath Hospice — in Citrus, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillborough, Pasco and Polk counties. It’s as easy as filling out an application, just click here. There are many ways to volunteer and we’d love to have you.
At Chapters Health System, every day is devoted to educating our patients and keeping them in the place they call home. We are dedicated to ensuring that patients, young and old alike, and their families are able to make educated decisions about important healthcare matters. For more information, please call our helpful Chapters Health team at 1.866.204.8611 or send an email to info@chaptershealth.org.
About Phoebe Ochman
Phoebe Ochman, Director of Corporate Communications for Chapters Health System, manages all content and communications for the not-for-profit organization.
Volunteering and Realizing Dreams
While in high school, Marlene Aboytes began a chapter of a national program known as DreamCatchers, which fulfills hospice patients’ wishes. It was so rewarding that upon her entrance to the University of South Florida (USF), she decided to launch the program at the college. Marlene spent two semesters working to meet the regulations and guidelines to make DreamCatchers a viable student organization at USF.
Marlene has grown the DreamCatchers membership to more than 50 members, and USF is the only Florida university to offer the program with its sole affiliation being LifePath Hospice. Some members of the group like to operate behind the scenes while others have become active hospice members. The DreamCatchers deliver gifts for Valentine’s Day, thank veterans for their service and send birthday wishes.
Recently, a memorable hospice wish was fulfilled with the coordination of a birthday party by the group to celebrate a patient’s 102nd birthday. After an assessment with the family, Marlene coordinated the day focusing on key points in the patient’s life. In reviewing the patient’s milestones, one of her three daughters shared that they were given a memory that would last a lifetime. The family sent their gratitude for the event and specifically recognized Marlene and the group of young college students who participated in making the day special for everyone.
Each staff member and fellow volunteer Marlene meets has only positive things to say concerning her work ethic and desire to see that patients are made to feel better. And therefore, it is not surprising that with a commitment to hospice patients this strong, Marlene actually changed her major in order to pursue a career in social services.