Volunteer pets chip in to cheer up patients
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Volunteerism is good for the heart. It lessens stress and depression. Volunteering allows you to help someone not as healthy or fortunate as you.
Volunteering is a gift that changes lives ? those you help and yours. It doesn?t require lots of time, and the rewards are abundant.
Those are just some of the things to consider during National Volunteer Week, which begins today.
Sharon Mann and her son Cody take their dog, Hush Puppy, to visit hospice patients at NHC.
?Being a volunteer for Caris is such a blessing,? Sharon said. ?To see a smile, hear a laugh or see a movement of a still patient is all my heart needs to be a volunteer. And Hush loves it.?
Pet therapy is just one of the ways to volunteer. Caris volunteers can get involved with music therapy, being a phone buddy, office work, holiday projects, community activities or special events.
?There are as many ways to volunteer as there are individual personalities,? said Lisa Bilbrey, volunteer coordinator for Caris. ?There is always a place for you to help make a difference. One of the most helpful things to do is just spend a little time listening.?
Caris Healthcare provides comfort and support services for the terminally-ill and their families, helping them to live life as fully as possible for as long as possible. If you are interested in becoming a Warren County volunteer with Caris, please call Bilbrey at 888-537-3430.