Volunteer Spotlight: Bobbie Kowalski
Name: Bobbie Kowalski
How long have you been a volunteer? Since October 31, 2017 ㄧ So just within this year!
What areas do you work in/what sort of tasks do you do as a
volunteer?
My first volunteer project was working with the Tree of Life at
Laurel Park. Having spent time there making ornaments with families, and hearing
people say, “Thank you for what you do,” (even though I had just made it
through my training and had not been on the front lines at this point), it
showed me before I even began the impact of the care and love shown to these
family members and their loved ones.
At this point I decided to move into two areas that I felt called
to. I started first in the Care Center working with the staff and patients, then
became a part of the Spiritual Care Department as well.
What made you decide to become a volunteer?
I went through two very tough losses in my life in the last
handful of years, my grandfather and then soon after my father. This caused me
to become a very spiritually awakened person, and I started looking at life
through a new set of eyes, the eyes of someone who is constantly evolving and
changing the eyes of my soul. I believe the soul never dies, and we evolve and
transition, which made death to me personally another part of the soul’s
journey.
I have a very strong love of travel in my life. My soul sings every
time I get on an airplane and in the sky ㄧ like a bird so free. I look at death
in the same way ㄧ the soul going on a journey ㄧ going home and feeling so
free. For many, travel is scary like death. So I decided if I could just
be that person to hold a hand or calm a heart, just maybe that journey home
would not be so scary.
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| Bobbie loves visiting with Betty in the Care Center. Betty turned 103 back in April. |
Why Angela Hospice?
I had spent less than a week in the Care Center of Angela Hospice
when my grandfather was taking his journey home. What I saw in that week was
the care and love from the staff that touched me in many ways. When I started
researching where I wanted to do my volunteer work, I decided that Angela
Hospice carried my core values.
The Felician Core Values: respect for human dignity, compassion,
transformation, solidarity with the poor, justice and peace; as well as a
mission statement that provides compassionate, Christ-like care; and the fact
that Angela Hospice is open to each individual’s personal path, and honors each
one’s personal faith and journey.
What is your favorite part about volunteering?
Seeing people light up when I come to see them, just knowing in
the most difficult times for these families you can still bring smiles to faces.
What is one of your favorite stories or memories from volunteering?
There are already so many stories and memories that this
opportunity has given me, but I do believe there has been a place in my heart
for my first spiritual care patient who broke me in with a passion! From my first
time sitting with my rough-around-the-edges patient, and him having no part of
my friendship unless I had a Budweiser or cigarette….and eventually him seeing
me coming down the hall and being excited to see me (wow, a good change!), but as
I learned, he was excited to see me because he had to “poop.” Luckily for
me ㄧ I was able to get him a staff member to help and became a hero! So
each week when I go see my friend, first I am greeted with, “Yay, you’re here.
I need to poop,” the visit ritual, followed by a growing friendship filled with
laughs, crossword puzzles, and half chocolate/half vanilla Frosties from Wendy’s. What
I will not forget was the day he read my badge and learned I was a volunteer.
He was shocked I was visiting without being paid, and began to cry.
This is why I do what I do. #Poopfriend
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