Hospice of the Comforter

Jim Seibert
     In 1994, when I walked into Hospice of the Comforter as a potential volunteer, it was a one-story building that accommodated 32 employees who provided comfort for 52 patients.
     That was 16 years ago, and opportunities for involvement significantly outnumbered the available volunteers. I quickly shifted from potential to committed where my involvement was based on the need-of-the-day. During any given week, I may have been a delivery man, a carpenter, a painter or a maintenance man.
     For deliveries, I used the one hospice van to deliver and pick up recliners, electric carts and other large items. Some of those deliveries were challenging. I vividly recall trips with past directors Sarah Stengel and Jo Simonini. Sarah helped maneuver a recliner up a winding staircase only to bring it down two weeks later. Jo helped demonstrate the mechanics of electric carts in patients’ homes. For smaller items, my car doubled as a delivery truck.
     My carpentry skills were tested when the need for wheelchair ramps arose and any office movement was a signal to paint, re-paint, hang pictures, move bulletin boards and perform general maintenance. I loved it all and the people with whom I worked.
     Of the many opportunities, the one I enjoy most is patient contact. In the early years, volunteers were permitted to take patients to lunch, movies and doctors appointments. Today, legal liabilities have altered our roles; however, my spirit of volunteering remains untouched.
     Yes, the Hospice of the Comforter landscape has changed significantly since I first walked through those doors. There are now four buildings and a staff of 500 providing comfort to almost 750 patients a day. One thing has not changed - my dedication to the mission.     
     To borrow a quote from Bob Wilson, “You never know when you might be the last person to put a smile on a patient’s face.” It’s a sobering reminder of the impact volunteers have on the lives of those with whom we too briefly come in contact.

Bonnie Cochran
     In the summer of 1990, I answered the phone at Orlando’s Volunteer Center when Hospice of the Comforter president Bob Wilson called looking for volunteers to begin a new hospice. He was preparing to admit his first patient. This was a perfect fit for me, since I had volunteered at hospices in Louisville, Ky., and Clearwater, Fla., for several years.
     My passion for hospice began when I lost my sister at age 42, then my brother at age 53. Little did I know how my journey with Hospice of the Comforter would prepare me for switching roles to caregiver with my husband as a patient in the program when we moved back to Orlando after a 12-year absence.
     I thought I knew a great deal about hospice care having been a volunteer for so many years. But, I received such an education and feeling of security as I was supported in the care of my spouse with a total team to meet any of our needs, physically, emotionally, medically and spiritually.
     I will always be grateful to this wonderful organization and hope I can continue to give back. It is incredibly heart warming to now be a part of Hospice of the Comforter, serving almost 750 patients daily, operating a 16-bed Hospice House and preparing for more exciting ventures.

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