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on 4/19/2022
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Press Releases
The annual St. Anthony Hospice Volunteer of the Year event was held yesterday Monday, April 18, 2022, to honor active volunteers for their service during 2021. The 2021 theme was Grow Through Challenges. Nicole Schwering, Home Health, Hospice, & Public Health Director, offered her personal thanks and appreciation to all volunteers.
“We are extremely grateful for the devotion of our hospice volunteers,” Schwering said. “I can't imagine how patients and families could cope without some of the services that our volunteers provide. Their dedication to helping our hospice patients and families is invaluable.”
In 2021, 13 volunteers served 11 patients and their families. They offered patients companionship, socialization, and respite care for a total of 202 hours, down from the following two years due to the pandemic. Volunteers traveled 1,520 miles to benefit community members and spent approximately 25 hours helping at the two fundraising events: Carroll Rotary/St. Anthony Regional Hospice Softball Tournament in August and the Tree of Love ornament sales and service in November.
Pat Vogl was named the Volunteer of the Year for serving a total of 44 hours in 2021. She stayed with patients who were actively dying, offering respite care, and direct patient companionship to multiple hospice patients and their families.
“Pat has been a confidant and friend to many patients and family members. She has been a longtime advocate for our patient’s care and for the mission and purpose of hospice. Her dedication is an inspiration to us all,” said Whitney Hinners, St. Anthony Hospice Volunteer Coordinator. “This is my first year serving as the volunteer coordinator, and I am proud of the volunteers and their dedication to our program. The pandemic was hard on everyone, and I know our volunteers are happy to be back helping our hospice patients and families with their kindness, compassion, and patience. Slowly but surely I expect our volunteer hours to continue to rise with each coming year.”
Volunteers were served a meal and each received a gift for their time and dedication to St. Anthony Hospice. To learn more about becoming a hospice volunteer at St. Anthony, contact Whitney Hinners at 712-794-5279.