Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Irma Holmon

Music is a huge and powerful part of everyone’s life. It’s there during first dates, weddings, births, birthdays and funerals, making the emotions of the moment audible. One of our volunteers, Irma Holmon, knows the power of music and has been kind enough to entertain our patients with her singing.

Irma’s musical journey as a caregiver began when her friend was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and it was just her nature to help with the care. “I would visit and sing to her,” Irma says.

Hospice staff who visited Irma’s friend encouraged Irma to keep doing what she was doing: bringing the power of music to someone who needed it. Thanks in large part to Irma’s compassionate care, her friend ended up living another year and a half longer than expected.

After Irma’s friend passed away, an article about the need for hospice volunteers led her to call Crossroads and offer her services. “I was experienced with hospice,” she says, “and I wanted to help.”

A year later, she is one of the most active volunteers at our St. Louis location.

“Irma is a woman with a huge heart who gives a lot of her time to visit with three of our patients, as well as many other older adults through her church,” says Volunteer Coordinator Elizabeth Nelson. “We are lucky to have her donate some of that energy and love to Crossroads.” Irma brings her love for music, and its soothing powers, to Crossroads. She makes sure that singing is a big part of her time with the patients.  “I help feed them and sing hymns like ‘Jesus Loves Me’ and ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” she says.

Irma has witnessed the positive results of her singing. She recently saw a patient who was very upset and wouldn’t eat. Irma sang to her, but didn’t push the patient to eat or cheer up; she simply sang. Before long, as Irma sang on, the patient began to eat the meal.

“Sometimes the right song makes all the difference,” Irma explains, as she’s learned after using the power of music to boost the spirits of her friend and other hospice patients

Like many hospice volunteers, Irma finds that she gets as much as she gives. “It’s good for them to sit and talk,” she says. “They feel good, and you leave feeling good yourself. I’m lifted up.”

If you would like to be lifted up like Irma, visit the volunteering section of our website.