Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire celebrates hospice volunteers

Volunteers who serve patients on hospice for Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire (VNH) gathered for a Volunteer Appreciation Event at the VNH office on Thursday, May 1. 

“The volunteers fill me with gratitude and hope,” said VNH psychosocial and volunteer supervisor Nils Fredland. “They are each examples of humanity at its best. I am beyond fortunate to have the honor of helping them do this important work that supports our patients and our team.”

Five of VNH’s roughly 20 current volunteers attended the event, including veteran volunteers who have been giving their time and energy to VNH for over 10 years, and its newest volunteer, John Jerro, a medical-track undergraduate student at Dartmouth College.

“As I begin my journey in medicine, this is such a wonderful opportunity to gain a personal and intimate connection with patients in need of support and compassion,” said Jerro.

Thanks in part to growing interest from Dartmouth College, approximately half of the volunteers partnering with VNH hospice are college-age young adults as young as 19 years old, which is rare among hospice volunteers regionally. Traditionally, hospice volunteers tend to be older adults who have lost loved ones, such as Sally Hostetler, who has been a VNH hospice volunteer for 14 years.

“I find this the easiest way to give back. I had my own challenges, and this is such a blessed way to give to others, which I find so rewarding,” Hostetler said.

The event featured food and socializing, opening remarks from Fredland and VNH interim CEO Tammy Tarsa, and a presentation from agency staff members with messages of thanks to the volunteers from VNH staff and patients. 

VNH’s growing roster of hospice volunteers visit regularly with patients to provide companionship, help with simple tasks, and to offer respite and support to family caregivers. Others offer a path to grief and loss support, administrative support for the agency or reach out to bereaved loved ones to offer bereavement support. The volunteer program was significantly diminished during the COVID-19 pandemic as in-person volunteer visits were forced to cease, but over the past couple years, the program has steadily grown to meet the needs of the current patients.

VNH is actively welcoming new volunteers from the roughly 100 New Hampshire and Vermont towns it serves. Anyone interested in making a difference in someone’s end-of-life journey and becoming a hospice volunteer is encouraged to contact Saralee Morgan at (888) 300-8853 ext. 105 or apply online at vnhcare.org/families-community/volunteering.