COVID-19 Changes How Hospice Of Central Ohio Volunteers Serve Patients and Families

While many Hospice of Central Ohio volunteer team members, also known as volunteer staff members,  are not able to volunteer in their usual roles during COVID-19, the pandemic has not paused their dedication to the mission.

Some volunteer staff are following recommended pandemic protocols in making face masks and other requested personal protective equipment back-up items for clinical staff. Others are calling and sending cards to maintain the relationships they have built with patients and their families.

“In March when we made the decision to suspend most volunteer activity, we invited our volunteer team members to write letters and notes of encouragement to their paid staff team members, and we were overwhelmed by their response,” said Liz Adamshick, manager of volunteer services at Hospice of Central Ohio.

The volunteer services team received the letters at the main Newark office, and then mailed them to paid staff members’ home addresses. All of the paid staff have received at least two rounds of support letters from volunteer staff members in the past month with more letters being sent each week.

“Paid staff responded with such gratitude and respect for their volunteers, asking volunteer services to convey messages of thanks back to them, and, in some cases, volunteer staff members’ addresses so that paid staff could send a note of thanks,” Adamshick said.

One healthcare provider said she would look at the letters she received every day before she leaves her home. “Please tell your beautiful people thank you from me,” she wrote to Adamshick. “Their prayers are very powerful.”

Another healthcare worker was also moved by the letter she received from the volunteers. “I received this in the mail today,” she wrote to Adamshick. “This may be something so small, but this truly meant so much to me.”

Adamshick said the volunteer staff members will continue to send letters as long as it is meaningful.

For information on how to volunteer, call 740.788.1404, or visit our website.