A weekly feature where you can get to know some of our volunteers. Name: Phil Ernzen How long have you been a volunteer? Going on two years What areas do you work in/what tasks do you do as a volunteer? Plays music and sings songs as a form of music therapy for patients and their visitors. What made you decide to become a volunteer? I've been a hospice volunteer in different places for over 12 years. I just love the experience of volunteering in a hospice setting. It's very, very fulfilling and rewarding. Why Angela Hospice? I was at another hospice and I met somebody who was working here. They talked about how nice it was. Based on what they said I checked it out and I was very impressed with the operation here. So I came. What is your favorite part about volunteering? Meeting the people. Feeling that you're making a difference in their lives at a very important time -- both the patients and their family or visitors -- but also the staff has been very...

A weekly feature where you can get to know some of our volunteers. Name: Dennis Bostwick How long have you been a volunteer? Four years What areas do you work in/what tasks do you do as a volunteer? Patient care in the Care Center, nursing homes and home care What made you decide to become a volunteer? Sister Pat (Hergenroether) was head of Spiritual Care at the time (she’s now retired) and she knew I was retired. We've been friends for years and years. I saw her and she said, “I have just the thing for you now that you've retired.” And she told me about this and I said, “I can't do that, are you kidding?” And she goes, “You can do this.” She sent me the information and I looked it over. I mentioned it to my wife and she said, "You'd be good at that." I said, "I'd be good at that? I don't know." I said a little prayer and said if you think I should do this I'm with you. So I took the classes and I liked the enthusiasm o...

A weekly feature where you can get to know some of our volunteers. Name: Susan Bizon   How long have you been a volunteer?   Between five and six years. What areas do you work in/what tasks do you do as a volunteer? •  Helped with patient care in the old Care Center •  Bakes Pizzelle cookies for families and residents at the Care Center What made you decide to become a volunteer? When my sister-in-law was very ill I was her main caregiver. And once Sarah passed away, which was about six years ago, I kind of sat back and said, you know what? She did so much more for me than I did for her … kind of a friend led me here. Then I talked to Syndie and took the classes and it’s felt like home here ever since. What is your favorite part about volunteering? Just being around the patients and just feeling everything that they have to give. It's very rewarding in that area. What is one of your favorite stories or memories from volunteering? In t...

A weekly feature where you can get to know some of our volunteers. Name: Mary Bagnasco   How long have you been a volunteer? On and off for about ten years. What areas do you work in/what tasks do you do as a volunteer? •    Helps with patient care in the Care Center  •    Makes flower arrangements as a “Flower Bud” volunteer (“I love the way the flowers brighten up the patients,” she says.) What made you decide to become a volunteer? I'm a retried RN and I always had an interest in hospice. Even when I did my training I was interested in hospice. It was kind of natural for me to evolve here. So that's how that all got started.   Why Angela Hospice? Because of personal experience. My mother was in Angela Hospice in 1994 and that was my first introduction to it .   What is your favorite part about volunteering? I like the feeling that I'm really doing something that matters with my time. I love the way I ...

This week the Observer & Eccentric featured an article about the upcoming "You Are the Star" Light Up a Life Gala. Check it out here: Everyone’s a VIP at Angela Hospice gala