"I so enjoy my patients. When I'm with them, I take on the role as one of their friends."
       Sharon Rodgers, patient care volunteer, Big Rapids Team

"The hours that I spend volunteering for HOM are the best part of my week. I always look forward to coming into the office and seeing other HOM volunteers and our delightful staff, and I especially cherish the times when I go visit patients. I feel that discovering Hopsice has been one of the greatest events in my life."
       Kevin Bonney, patient care, office support & grief support volunteer, Ann Arbor team

"Volunteering at Hospice of Michigan has given me so much. What is difficult is when other HOM volunteers become patients, though that has strengthened me as a person and deepened those relationships."
       Judy Carrier, community outreach volunteer, Ludington team, 18 years.

"I've noticed that people in hospice don't want to talk about their illness. They want to talk about life. When they ask me if I'm coming back, I see the hope for one more day. I get so much more from them then I could ever give back."
       Velma Gocha, patient care volunteer, Detroit team.

"Volunteering is one of the many things I do to fill up my day, but it is number one. I have learned that dying people develop a new set of values. Being able to help someone immediately, making a difference with the small things, following through on promises - these are why becoming a volunteer is so important."
       Bill Sederquist, patient care volunteer, Grand Rapids team.

"I get so much more than what I give when I volunteer. I learn many lessons about life from the patients I work with. Whatever we do as volunteers is considered terrific by our patients and families."
       Ron Gries, patient care, grief support & Speaker's Bureau volunteer, Oakland team, 5-1/2 years.

"One of the ladies I took care of was almost blind. She loved to read, so I would read to her, and she would give me such a nice smile. When I volunteer, I feel like I am the one being helped."
       Carol Guess, patient care volunteer, Cadillac team, 10 years.