Hospice Volunteering: Love in Motion!
“Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain love for one another.” -Erma Bombeck, 1927-1996
Erma Bombeck failed most of her college writing assignments, was rejected by the school newspaper, and dropped out after one semester because she couldn’t afford tuition. However, her passion for writing was so strong it led her to become one of America’s most popular authors. She published 15 books and some 30 million people across the U.S. and Canada read her columns twice a week in 900 newspapers. Her passion also led her to become a volunteer.
In 1978, Bombeck volunteered to serve on the Presidential Advisory Committee for Women, which was working on final implementation of the Equal Rights Amendment. She endured a lot of public criticism and some stores even stopped selling her books. Once again, she refused to give up and stayed on the committee.
It has been said that volunteers are “love in motion” and at Heart ‘n Home, we couldn’t agree more! Volunteering is a profound expression of love – love for others, love for life, love for community and country, and love for self. We see it every day, all day, as we interact with our Volunteers.
This month as you celebrate Valentine’s Day amid a flood of love songs on the radio and advertisements for cards, flowers, candy, and other trimmings, remember that at Heart ‘n Home, our business is all about love and our ability to spread that love around is made possible by Volunteers who, as important members of our care team, enable us to “affirm life by providing emotional, physical, and spiritual support to our patients and to those who love and care for them.” To us, a world without volunteers is just as unimaginable as a world without love.
Not long ago, a Heart ‘n Home Volunteer wrote that she “learned the meaning of joy” during one particular patient visit. Would you like to experience a love like that? You can! As a Heart ‘n Home Volunteer, you have endless possibilities and opportunities. Contact us about becoming a Volunteer. You’ll love it!
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This is my first year volunteering as part of the Cicely Ambassador Program at Heart ‘n Home Hospice & Palliative Care. It has been a very rewarding experience, knowing that I am making a difference. It is a commitment, but I know the patients can really use my company and it is always time well spent. Even though one (out of two) of my patients has barely seen my face, I know that she hears my voice. I finished reading Charlotte’s Web to my other patient who is also mostly non-responsive and the smile on her face told me that she was enjoying it. It was even more special because she is for the most part, non-communicative and doesn’t show much emotion.
