Cancer Survivor Gets Call to Hospice Volunteer Duties
Joyce Doyle has always had “a heart for people,” so when a Crossroads Hospice representative came to her church to talk about hospice volunteering, she immediately signed up.
Four years later, she currently visits with five of our patients each month in Somerville, TN. Doyle gladly and enthusiastically takes on hospice volunteer duties to help others experience a comfortable and dignified end of life.
Doyle went through her own health scare several years ago when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went through a double mastectomy and took some time off from her hospice volunteer duties to recover and rebuild her immune system.
“By the end of 2014, I was ready to get back to it,” she says. “I always want to try to do something good for people.”
Giving Back by Volunteering at a Hospice
Doyle is one of our companionship volunteers. “I just talk to the patients. We talk about TV programs, how they’re feeling, our families,” she says. “It’s interesting to hear them talk about their growing up days.” Her duties are just one example of what hospice volunteers do.
Coming from a large extended family, Doyle has seen what the families of our patients are facing firsthand.
“When my mom was sick and dying, I was her caregiver because my siblings all worked. I also took care of my dad and my late husband when they became seriously ill,” Doyle explains. “My husband died at home with me. It made me stronger and more compassionate for people.”
Her hospice volunteer duties give her fulfillment just as much as it benefits patients and their families. “I hope that everyone I visit gets the blessing out of it that they give me,” she says.
Volunteer with Crossroads Hospice
Crossroads Hospice is always looking for kind and compassionate volunteers like Doyle to join our team. If you want to volunteer in hospice, complete a Volunteer Application or call 1-888-564-3405 to speak with a Volunteer Manager.
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