Honoring Our Volunteers During National Volunteer Week

Ohio’s Hospice of Miami County, an affiliate of Ohio’s Hospice, is celebrating National Volunteer Week, April 18-24. The not-for-profit hospice is grateful for the contributions of its volunteers and the work they do each and every day to support our staff in providing superior care and superior services to the patients and families we have the privilege of serving. 

Volunteers provide a variety of services throughout the community. Visiting with patients, delivering supplies, assisting with office duties, and making keepsake items for patients and families are just a few ways volunteers donate their time. In addition, Veteran volunteers are a part of the American Pride® Veteran Care by Ohio’s Hospice by performing Veteran recognition ceremonies to honor the service of Veteran patients.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many volunteer activities were put on hold. However, volunteers provided support wherever they could to support the mission of Ohio’s Hospice and its affiliates while following COVID-19 guidelines. During the past year, volunteers across the state have written letters of encouragement to staff, sewn cloth face masks, crafted face mask extenders, decorated and delivered Christmas trees, made blankets for patients, decorated patient windows at long-term care facilities, made arrangements for personal protective equipment donations, and more. 

Thank you to our volunteers for their continued support of our mission. Volunteers are truly the heart of hospice care. 

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We invite you take a moment to read about some of our volunteers at Ohio’s Hospice of Miami County and how they serve our mission. 

• Katherine Smith has been a volunteer for three years. She provides office support. Her favorite memory is going to a memorial butterfly release to remember loved ones. 

• Rebecca Guzman has been volunteering for one year. She makes deliveries to patients. Rebecca enjoys seeing the smiles on patients and their loved ones. 

• James O’Donnell has been a volunteer for eight years because he wanted to make a difference. He is a part of the American Pride program. James enjoys bringing a smile to Veterans’ faces and honoring them for their service.  

• Peg Morelli has been a volunteer for 15 years. She was on the board of directors for seven years. She makes patient visits, assists with Veteran recognition ceremonies, and makes deliveries. 

• Kathryn Skinner has been a volunteer for two years. She writes notes to patients, makes deliveries, and works at the inpatient care center. Her favorite memory is delivering a treat for a patient’s birthday and sitting with that patient.  

• Sue Curtis has been volunteering for six years. She works at the gift shop. Her favorite memories include customers sharing stories about how hospice has helped their families. 

• Mary Watson has been volunteering for five years. She became a volunteer because hospice helped her loved ones. She enjoys meeting people who come into the For All Seasons store to donate items after losing a loved one. 

• Wayne Melgaard has been a volunteer for 11 years. He became a volunteer after his wife received care. He is a facilitator for the Caregiver Connection program and assists with the American Pride program. 

• Dianne Miller has been volunteering for three years because she likes helping others. She assists with Camp Pathways, the Winter Walk and Christmas gathering. 

• Dottie Zimmerman has been a volunteer for 22 years. She became a volunteer because of the care her husband received. She provides office support, visits with patients, and delivers birthday presents. 

• Shirley Stockton has been volunteering for 19 years. She has had many roles as a volunteer, and currently visits patients at the inpatient care center. She enjoys visiting with patients and getting to know them personally. 

If you would like to learn more about volunteering, click here.