NORWICH – The Hospice staff ranks have grown recently by nine volunteers. While they are not paid for their service to patients, they are without exception special people who wish to give back to their communities. Folks from South Otselic to Greene to New Berlin prepared for their role by taking classes in April and May. Hospice Volunteer Coordinator Judie Wright was pleased that four of the new volunteers are men. “We have a lot of male patients and in order to make the best match between patient and volunteer, we needed more men willing to face the topic of death and dying, and devote themselves to helping out whenever and wherever they can.”

Each new volunteer had been touched by Hospice in one way or another. In Cindy Lum’s case we took care of her husband who suffered from ALS. Also, Richard Tosh’s wife was a local Hospice patient. The Hilgerts, new to the area, are a couple who decided that in their retirement they had enough time and compassion to share with others. The Hilgerts were familiar with Hospice services because a family member downstate used Hospice services.