Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare Recognizes Volunteers During National Volunteer Week

Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare, an affiliate of Ohio’s Hospice, is celebrating National Volunteer Week April 17-23. This week is an opportunity to recognize the impact our volunteers have on our not-for-profit organization and our patients facing a life-limiting illness or injury. 

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

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

We invite you to read about some of our volunteers at Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare and how they serve our mission.  

• Lisa Birkes has been a volunteer with Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare for eight years after her mother received services from the care team. She provides care in homes and enjoys being able to provide peace of mind to loved ones and share in their journey.  
• Diane Borger has been volunteering with Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare for four years helping with office support and annual evaluation. Her favorite memory is walking around the beautiful grounds and talking with the volunteer team about how the work matters, even when it is not direct patient care. 
• Angela Davis has been a volunteer with Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare for two years because she wanted to give back after her mother received hospice care. Through the pandemic, Angela helped in the supply room to keep the inpatient unit and traveling nurses supplied with items they needed. Her favorite memory is participating in honoring a Veteran as he left the inpatient unit.  
• Joanne Downs has been a volunteer with Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare for a year and a half because she wanted to help people facing the end of life. She has helped at the welcome desk, sat with patients and caregivers to be with them near the end of life, and provided in home care.  
• Mary Fitzgerald is a retired nurse and has been a volunteer with Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare for 10 years. She provides direct care, record reviews, and welcome desk support. 
• Annie Gerig started volunteering with Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare 11 years ago to support caregivers and provide direct care to patients. As a volunteer, she provides companionship and care to caregivers and patients and helps with light housekeeping. Her favorite memory is listening, laughing, and talking with a patient and her friend between housekeeping tasks.  
• Lorie Meister has been a volunteer with Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare for two years as a companion volunteer. She cares for patients by listening, sharing time with them, and visiting with their loved ones. Her favorite memory is connecting with a patient and their family and getting to know them through their time with hospice.  
• Evelyn Musselman has been volunteering with Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare for 13 years, joining after her husband died. She has delivered medications and visited with patients through her time as a volunteer. One of her favorite memories as a volunteer is visiting with a patient who was close to passing. The patient thanked her for sitting with her. 
• Marcia Ruby has been a volunteer with Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare for nearly five years and visits nursing homes to visit with patients and help in the inpatient unit. Her favorite memory is visiting a patient in the last stage of life. She read the 23rd Psalm and prayed for the patient.  
• Mabel Lucille Wade has been volunteering with Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare for 14 years in whatever way she can help, from making meals and cookies to doing laundry, washing dishes, and helping patients with personal care. 
• Anna Weekley started volunteering with Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare five years ago at the welcome desk, where she provides companionship to patients and families. Her favorite memory is being treated as a daughter to an elderly woman. 
• Marylee Wirick has been a volunteer with Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare since 2015 because she wanted to help people who needed companionship and respite. As a volunteer, she visits patients in their homes so their caregivers can run errands or simply take a break. Her favorite memory is playing Scrabble with her very first patient. 
• Beverly Wynkoop has been a volunteer with Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare for nine years, providing direct patient care, helping at the welcome desk, helping in the kitchen, and helping a family document their loved one’s illness and symptoms. Her favorite memory is when staff and volunteers line the halls of the inpatient unit when a Veteran leaves the building.  
• Lynn Young has been volunteering with Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare for two years. After caring for her mother and mothers-in-law, she wanted to help other patients and caregivers through the end-of-life journey and now helps with direct patient care, the children’s bereavement camp, and the Christmas gift distribution.  

If you would like to learn more about volunteering, please visit: https://ohioshospicelifecare.org/waystogive/volunteer-program/