Volunteer Spotlight: Kathleen McLeod

-
Name: Kathleen McLeod

How long have you been a volunteer?
15 years.

What areas do you work in/what sort of tasks do you do as a volunteer?
Patient care in the Care Center, mailings, and events.

What made you decide to become a volunteer?
Forty-seven years ago my mother had cancer and she passed away. Back then they didn’t talk about it, they didn’t talk about cancer. It was a bad word. We knew when she was dying that she knew she was dying but we never talked about it. When we went to the hospital we just went during visiting hours and that was it.

I always felt really bad when she died that we didn’t get to share more with her. When I heard about Angela [Hospice] I thought, that sounds like a good place. So kind of in remembrance of my mother I started volunteering.

Why Angela Hospice?
I had heard from other people…good things about it. I had come for training and I liked it.

Kathleen has volunteered in Wing A since the
Care Center opened in 2010.
What is your favorite part about volunteering?
I really like the interaction with the patients and the families. I’ve met a lot of wonderful people, a lot of volunteers that I’ve become friends with, and the staff and everything are just wonderful. It’s kind of a combination of everything. I really like it here.

What is one of your favorite stories or memories from volunteering?
I have a lot of them. One of the patient’s families told me that hospice was like the first step to heaven. That really stuck with me. I thought, you know, that is a wonderful tribute to hospice. There have been a lot of patients that were just wonderful.

I used to come in on Fridays when “Dancing With The Stars” was on Thursdays and this one lady just loved “Dancing With The Stars” so much. We would talk, and compare who we liked the best and everything.

The people and their stories were just very warm. It gave me a lot of compassion towards people and I think it strengthened my faith even more.

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? The Angela Hospice Care Center prov
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