Name: Marge Vendittelli How long have you been a volunteer? 16 years this fall. What areas do you work in/what sort of tasks do you do as a volunteer? Patient care in the Care Center, mailings, and the Tree of Life. Why did you decide to become a volunteer? I had an aunt that lived in Berkley and her daughter was able to keep her at home with the help of a hospice. They were so good and my cousin said she could not have taken care of her mother if it wasn’t for hospice helping her out. Then I had just gone through cancer - now I’m a survivor of 16 years - and I live not too far away. I would go by Angela Hospice and think, “Oh, I should do something to give back.” So I came here and I went to the classes, and have been here for almost 16 years. I think I’ve received way more than I’ve given back. It’s just an awesome place to be. The nurses, the aides, the other volunteers, Syndie [Best], Melanie [Miller], just everybody is so nice here. And it’s a beaut...

Name: Virginia Walter How long have you been a volunteer? About a year. What areas do you work in/what sort of tasks do you do as a volunteer? Patient care in the Care Center and home care. What made you decide to become a volunteer? I retired from my nursing career, almost three years ago, and I wanted to be able to give back some of my skills that I’ve learned over time, and be in touch with families and patients. It just felt very comfortable for me to do that. Why Angela Hospice? I’ve known Angela Hospice for many years because of friends and families who have been involved with it over time, and I’ve always admired the work that they do. As I told Syndie [Angela Hospice Director of Volunteer Services] when I interviewed with her…I was seeking something in my life. I wasn’t quite sure what, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the work that I’m doing here. Virginia volunteers in the Care Center and home care. What is your favorite part about volunte...

Name: Judy Thibert How long have you been a volunteer? Almost three years. What areas do you work in/what sort of tasks do you do as a volunteer? Patient care in the Care Center, events, ice cream socials, and gardening. What made you decide to become a volunteer? I’ve always volunteered. My kids are adopted, they’re from Korea, and when my daughter came home the social worker asked if I wanted to volunteer through the adoption agency. When babies would come home I would go out to the airport and get them off the plane and deliver them to the parents. So that’s where I started. I did that up until 2011. Then after that I did a lot with my kids after school. Then as they got older it kind of dropped off and then my parents got sick and my dad had dementia. For two-and-a-half years we had aides in the house and they were godsends. I mean, I don’t know what we would have done without them. And seeing them and how much I appreciated them I thought, when I have tim...

At the end of last year’s Laughter Lifts You Up there were nearly 80 auction items to be picked up by guests. As the winning bidder numbers went up on the screen, expressions of joy could be heard throughout the banquet room, and then all the winners headed towards the back, rushing to get their prizes. For some, seeing a crowd of women stampeding your way would have been overwhelming -- but not for volunteer Sue Flatley. “I tend to stay calm,” Sue laughed. “I don’t seem to get rattled by that whole lot.” The annual women’s event was only the second time Sue had led auction close-out, and all those prizes were picked up in under an hour. Her first was at Light Up a Life 2014. No matter how crazy things got Sue still had a calmness about her, making sure that items were successfully signed out and given to the correct guest. There’s something about her soothing voice that makes it feel like everything will be fine, even when there are dozens of excited women trying to ge...