Volunteer Spotlight: Kate Mudry

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Name: Kate Mudry

How long have you been a volunteer?
One year.

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

What made you decide to become a volunteer?
My mother died about three years ago, and she had in-home hospice care in St. Louis. It made a huge impact on her life, and how she died with dignity in a way that she wanted to, on her own terms, and as comfortable as she possibly could.

I have daughters at Ladywood High School and so I drove by Angela Hospice all the time, and I was like, I need to touch base with them because I think there’s a purpose in that.

What is your favorite part about volunteering?
I would say the best part is knowing that you’re making a difference in calming someone or making them more comfortable. Or just showing you’re someone who cares. There’s a lot of caring people out there who aren’t afraid of death.

Kate volunteers in Wing B, where she helps with lunch.
What is one of your favorite stories or memories from volunteering?
There was a woman who had been here for quite some time and she had visitors on a fairly regular basis but not when I would come in during lunchtime. She was very, very agitated one day; I think her meds had changed, and I went and sat with her for I think two hours straight.

And we didn’t talk, we didn’t do anything. But the minute I was sitting in there with her she was less agitated and just relaxed. Sometimes people just need to know someone else is there and they’re not alone.

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