During this Season of Giving, Consider Becoming a Hosparus Health Volunteer

It’s the season of giving, and there’s no gift more meaningful than time. That’s certainly true when it comes to Hosparus Health Green River. As your local hospice and palliative care organization, we help families navigating serious illness make the most of the time they have together. And one way we do that is through our volunteers.

You might not know that Hosparus was started by volunteers more than 40 years ago, and they still play a vital role in how we deliver compassionate care today. These angels generously donate their own time in service of others, whether that’s offering companionship to a patient so their family caregiver can go to the grocery, or helping out at our offices or the Campbellsville Thrift Shoppe.

Linda Sprowles has been volunteering with us for almost five years. She visits with patients in Taylor County, delivers care packages and Christmas gifts, and makes phone calls to families offering support. When asked why she gives back, she says, “It’s just a little something I can do. I like to help people, and this is one way I can do that.”

Linda helped care for her mom and dad at the end of their lives. “I know how exhausting caregiving can be day in and day out,” she says. “The families are so appreciative of your help. It gives them time to get out for a few minutes and run some errands. These are simple things, but they are really meaningful to them.”

Very often, Linda’s visit is the only respite a family caregiver gets, especially for patients in rural areas. “One man who was caring for his wife, he lived so far out, he couldn’t leave her for long enough to go into town,” says Linda. “I was glad to be able to help him do that.”

Linda is proud to give her time to a caring organization that’s “doing good in our neighborhood,” she says. “We never know when we may need their help in our own lives. I never regret the time I give to them.”

Getting More Than You Give

Our volunteers often tell us they get so much more out of their service than they give. Linda Greenwell is a current patient in our palliative care program, Pallitus Health Partners. Her husband, James, was our hospice patient before he passed away last May. Amber Eubank is a Hosparus companionship volunteer who visited with James, and now visits Linda.

“My time with the Greenwell family, going on over two years now, has been everything from enlightening/inspiring to entertaining and even hilarious,” Amber says. “They taught me, among many things, that one of the most valuable services I could provide is just listening — hearing about the veterans they’re so proud of in their families, childhood stories kept between sisters, asking about which grandchild is giving them gray hair this week, and sharing their fears and concerns when health issues seem overwhelming.”

“James and Linda as patients, and the entire family together, are a testament to strength and resilience,” Amber adds. “I have truly been honored to help in the smallest ways, by sharing my time and good conversation. I wouldn’t trade a minute of the time I’ve been able to enjoy as their Hosparus volunteer.”

Linda feels the same about Amber. “She’s not a member of the family, but she can just get you to open up and tell her what’s wrong,” Linda says. “She knows when I’m hurting and when my bad days are. She did that with my husband, too. He looked forward to talking to her and visiting with her. She always knows how to brighten our day. She has done little things like bringing flowers from her garden. She even came to my baptism when I invited her. She means the world to me.”

How You Can Get Involved

These are just a few examples of how the gift of time can mean so much to families dealing with the challenges of serious illness.

If you’re looking for a way to give back to your neighbors this holiday season and beyond, please consider becoming a Hosparus Health volunteer. Click here for more information or to sign up, or contact me at 270.283.6377 or ctruitt@hosparus.org.

Carrie Truitt is Volunteer Manager for Hosparus Health Green River.