Hospice Volunteer, Jerry Mullinax, pictured with patient, Mary Hamrick, at Kings Mountain Hospice House

(Shelby, NC) - Over 40 years ago, the U.S. hospice movement was founded by dedicated volunteers who wanted to bring compassion and care to people at life's end. This commitment to volunteering among our nation's hospices continues to be a foundation of hospice care.
During National Volunteer Week, April 12-18, Hospice Cleveland County is celebrating the many gifts of its dedicated volunteers from our community who provide support, companionship and dignity to patients and family caregivers facing serious and life-limiting illness. "Hospice care began as a grassroots volunteer-driven movement and without volunteers, we could not do the work we have been doing at Hospice Cleveland County since 1986," said Krista Haynes, Patient/Family Volunteer Coordinator.
More than 200 volunteers provide more than 10,000 hours per year to help Hospice Cleveland County care for patients and families in the community. Hospice volunteers often serve patients and families at the bedside but they also assist in the office, help raise awareness, contribute to educational programs, and provide fundraising support and more.
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization reports that there are an estimated 355,000 trained hospice volunteers providing more than 16 million hours of service to hospice programs each year. An estimated 1.6 million patients in the U.S. are cared for by hospice every year.
Hospice Cleveland County volunteers help the people they serve live every moment of life to the fullest and enable the organizations they work with to achieve their mission in the community. Most hospice volunteers choose to give their time helping others because of their own experience with the compassionate care hospice provided to a dying loved one.
It is federally mandated under Medicare that five percent of all patient care hours be provided by trained volunteers reflecting the vital role that volunteers play in the provision of care.
For those interested in learning more about hospice or volunteer opportunities, please visit our website at www.hospicecares.cc or call 704-487-4677.