Becoming the Cookie Lady
Pam Shorter didn’t want to volunteer
for hospice.
"At first I thought, 'I don't
want to deal with people at the end of life. No, that's depressing!'" she
said.
And yet, Pam is now six years into her
career as an Angela Hospice volunteer.
It was a friend at church that
suggested she volunteer at Angela Hospice. Pam didn't know how she
wanted to help, but she took the training class anyway. That's where she heard
about Alberta Karll, affectionately known around these parts as "the Pie
Lady." Alberta bakes pies each week in the Care Center family kitchen for
patients and visitors.
When Pam heard this she was inspired: "I said, 'Well, what about muffins?'"
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| Pam can be found in the Care Center kitchen every week. |
The appreciation that patients and
families express for her freshly baked goods is humbling and heartwarming, she
said.
"Angela Hospice was there for my
dad, so I think it's important to give back," she continued.
It was in 2007 that Pam's father was
enrolled in Angela Hospice's home care program. While he was only under hospice
care for a few days, Pam was grateful for the support and care he received.
"I would definitely say those
three days made an impact on me," she said. "They left a favorable
impression on my mind."
There are memories of cooking for her
dad too, an experience that is now echoed as she cooks and bakes for others at
Angela Hospice.
Her banana cream pie is a favorite, as
are her oatmeal cranberry walnut cookies. In summertime there's the refreshing
lemon blueberry crumble. Winter sees her cranberry pie and cherry streusel coffee
cake.
"They're just simple things,
comfort food," Pam said. "But you're sharing it with important
people, friends. It's heartwarming."
And so is Pam's caring and generosity.
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