Hospice of Central Ohio Recognizes Volunteers During National Volunteer Week

During National Volunteer Week, April 19-25, Hospice of Central Ohio recognized its volunteer staff members for their support. In 2019, 135 volunteers provided more than 7,500 hours of service and made 3,489 visits to patients and families.

“Hospice of Central Ohio volunteers provide compassionate, professional support as fellow staff members of the patient care teams,” said Liz Adamshick, manager of volunteer services at Hospice of Central Ohio. “They are ambassadors in their respective communities, educating and informing others about our programs and services, and the hospice mission in general.”

They also provide essential infrastructure support and help to ensure daily operations are functional. The paid staff at Hospice of Central Ohio send their volunteers notes of thanks, complete annual performance reviews, and keep communication open with volunteers at all times.

“We invite their input and suggestions in the organization’s daily operations and for special projects. We ask them what they think. We listen and validate their perspective,” Adamshick said. “The volunteer staff members belong to the organization as a whole, not to any one department.”

In the past, Hospice of Central Ohio has honored volunteer staff with an annual appreciation dinner, accepted nominations from paid staff for service awards, and presented these awards to the recipients at this event. This year, for public health and safety reasons, the annual appreciation dinner will be rescheduled for the fall and all active volunteers will receive a token of appreciation through the mail.

“We are humbled by the seemingly endless well of support and investment each volunteer has in the Hospice of Central Ohio mission, which they embody beautifully,” Adamshick said. “They step up and contribute in so many ways — time, financial support, and keeping others’ spirits up. They deeply care about the impact of our collective work. They enrich, expand and evolve our purpose in myriad meaningful ways.”

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