Volunteer Spotlight: Mike Cuba

-
Name: Mike Cuba

How long have you been a volunteer?
Five years.

What areas do you work in/what sort of tasks do you do?
Bakes, crochets lap-blankets, home deliveries, teaches Tai Chi classes twice a week, serves on the Ethics committee, and sometimes sings in the choir.

What made you decide to become a volunteer?
My wife, Jane, has been volunteering here for 20 years. She knits. She’s amazing. She can work with patients, I couldn’t do that. I haven’t got the emotional strength for it. She does home care and she knits lap-blankets. I figured if she can knit them, I can crochet them. I’ve crocheted since I was in college. She does the nice, pretty pastel ones, and I do ones I think I would like more. Different colors, different patterns. Different textures too. I figured you need a little bit of texture, especially if it’s for an ex-military patient. That’s how I got into volunteering.

Mike teaches Tai Chi twice a week.
What is your favorite part about volunteering?
For purely selfish motive it takes me about 30 hours to make one of those blankets and I do it while I’m watching TV. Crocheting is my excuse for watching TV.

I also enjoy meeting the people here, even though I don’t share a lot of their philosophy. I’m agnostic…and one of the interesting things that I do is serve on the Ethics Committee.  When Syndie [Angela Hospice’s Volunteer Services Manager] asked me to be on it I said, “Boy, have you got the wrong vampire.” She said, “No, we need all sorts of viewpoints." I like the mental challenge there.

What is one of your favorite stories or memories from volunteering?
A couple of years ago, I think it was Valentine’s Day, there was normally going to be something going on but it got cancelled because it was Valentine’s Day. So Jane and I made up about four batches of cookie dough, brought them all in, and started making cookies in the Care Center kitchen.

We were just going to make them and set them out. A couple of patients came in with their families while we were making the cookies and we had a nice discussion with them. I guess one of them had been a baker and they were sharing stories with us. It was one of the few times I’ve directly interacted with the patients and their families. They had some of the cookies and they enjoyed them.

We made three or four different kinds of cookies and had a good time.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Room for Brian

-
Image
   Angela Hospice's donor-supported Care Center     provided Brian with the care he needed -- and        brought his family peace of mind. The Angela Hospice Care Center has always been a community-driven labor of love. From its construction in the early 1990s; to its expansion a decade and a half later; and right through to the present, where day-to-day operations are supported by the generosity of donors and friends – the Care Center is a rare and valuable community resource made possible by Angela Hospice’s caring supporters. It’s also a godsend for families like the Wilson’s. When their son came to stay with them over Christmas last year, the brain tumor he had been determined to fight for nearly 11 years began to overcome him. At 30 years old, Brian was 6’2” and his disease had progressed to the point that he could no longer walk on his own. How would his parents take care of him in their home that was not wheelchair accessible? ...
Read more

Volunteer Spotlight: Ingrid Lasley

-
Image
Name: Ingrid Lasley How long have you been a volunteer? I started volunteering about 2 ½ years ago. What areas do you work in/what sort of tasks do you do as a volunteer? I cover the receptionist desk for lunch hours, which includes telephone calls. I have covered Tree of Life shifts for the past 2 years and plan to volunteer again this season. I also have been involved in numerous mailings and last year’s Walk of Remembrance. What made you decide to become a volunteer? I stopped working a few years ago and decided I could use my spare time best by volunteering. I am enjoying every minute! Why Angela Hospice? Ingrid with fellow volunteer Geri Orlowski My mother passed away in 2012 in Buffalo, NY, and after witnessing the treatment my mother received at a hospice facility there, I knew I wanted to be part of such a kind and caring group. What is your favorite part about volunteering? I have enjoyed meeting so many people who have demonstrated so many ways one can g...
Read more

Detroit Catholic Central Moms Celebrate Hospice Workers During COVID-19

-
Image
A group of Detroit Catholic Central High School moms decided they wanted to do something special for our clinical staff, who have been working so hard in the midst of this stressful COVID-19 health crisis. The women coordinated with nurse Kelly Campbell, Home Care Clinical Supervisor for Angela Hospice, whose son recently graduated from Catholic Central. On Wednesday, the group set up 40 handmade signs outside our Care Center facility and along the driveway, to encourage and cheer our healthcare workers. They also tied big white ribbons around the trees to show support for front-line medical staff. Helen Balmforth, Angela Hospice Development and Special Events Manager, related that some staff members teared up when they saw what the Catholic Central moms had done. “I think, for some, it’s an emotional release to see that,” Helen explained. “I think it has a real impact on people.” The group also brought two large cases of toilet paper. Each roll is individually wrapped so staff...
Read more