You’re 45 Minutes Away from Making a Difference

At Crossroads Hospice, we are always looking for new ways for our patients to get the most out of their experience while in our care.

One of the ways we’re doing that is through our talented and caring volunteers. Crossroads volunteers have big hearts, and share both their time and special skills with our patients.

What skills translate into hospice volunteering? Mardi Miller paints nails and shares meals with patients. Irma Holmon sings and Kara Barnett plays an instrument. Husband and wife team Richard and Peggy Dudleyassist with Gift of a Day planning. Janet Rankl introduces patients to her miniature horse. All these people volunteer for Crossroads, and you can too, in as little as 45 minutes a week.

Like most people, our volunteers are busy with their own lives and responsibilities. But they make time to help put smiles on our patients’ faces.

Take 76-year-old Carolyn Robinson as an example. When Carolyn joined Crossroads as a volunteer, she was already busy as a Sunday School teacher, a shelter volunteer and a nursing home visitor. She worried that she didn’t have the skills to be a hospice volunteer.

But, Carolyn was assured that her compassion, plus some training provided by the Crossroads staff, made her more than qualified to volunteer.

Now a frequent volunteer, Carolyn uses her friendly demeanor and honest curiosity to engage with the patients. “I just want to know their story! Who they are. Where they grew up. What their grandparents cooked them for breakfast. Where they’ve traveled,” says Carolyn. By letting the patients share their story, she gives them the opportunity to laugh and reminisce.

Everyone can find 45 minutes in their busy schedule, but it takes a compassionate, caring person to volunteer in hospice.

The rewards of hospice volunteering are much greater than the empty time spent flipping the TV channels, looking at emails or losing track of time browsing Facebook. As a reward for volunteering, you’ll meet new people; you’ll hear new stories; and most importantly,  you’ll make a huge impact on the patients you’re helping.

Our door is always open for people looking to volunteer. Take a look at the volunteering section of our website, and ask yourself: do I have 45 minutes to spare?