At Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare, volunteers are truly the heart of hospice care. They play a vital role as members of the hospice care team. During National Volunteer Week, April 19-25, 2020, we recognize our volunteers and thank them for their service.

Our volunteers represent all ages, religions and ethnic backgrounds. From visiting with patients to serving as musicians, our volunteers bring unique skills and experiences to the volunteer role of their choosing. 

Every single hour of volunteer contribution to our hospice is deeply appreciated. Nonetheless, we are especially grateful for those who are able to prioritize the work of hospice and contribute to this work in a very big way. 

Kearney Award

Each year at this time we honor one of our volunteers with a recognition that has become essentially our Volunteer of the Year Award — the Kearney Award. It is given to the volunteer who has contributed an exceptionally large number of hours of volunteer service in the previous year.

In 2001, the Kearney Award was instituted to honor the enormity of Dr. Walter Kearney’s volunteer contribution to our hospice. Dr. Kearney was a part of the original team of local individuals whose work transformed end-of-life care in our community through the founding of our hospice. Dr. Kearney gave countless hours to the mission of this hospice as a founder, a member and president of the Board of Directors, and as a medical director, beginning in 1978 before this hospice had served its first patient and continuing beyond his retirement.  

This year’s recipient of the Kearney Award is Ron Reinking. He gave more than 350 hours of service to Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare in the past year. The bulk of this time was contributed as a direct care volunteer, providing respite care and emotional support to patients living in their own homes. Ron is faithful in all his assignments and takes the time to get to know his patients. He is a man of deep compassion and commitment. He has a powerful desire to do good in our community. It is with great respect and affection that we recognize Ron as the 2020 Kearney Award winner.

Recognition of Volunteers

We also want to recognize our volunteers who have served five, 10, 15 and 25 years with us.

25-Year Volunteers:
Daniel Calhoun
Janet Calhoun
Myra Leeper

15-Year Volunteers:
Kate Freed Simpson
Judy Holvey
Levina Peachey
Jim Straub
Dorothy Walker
Brenda Ziegler

10-Year Volunteers:
Tom Ciha
Helen Farster
Betty Jo Houpt
Dennis Landaw
Jackie Smith

5-Year Volunteers:
Melissa Butler
Diane Clark
Karen Halfhill
Rosanne Rinfret
Ken Schuesselin
Rita Schuesselin
Beverly Weaver
Mary Lee Wirick

More Than 100 Hours of Service

The following volunteers have contributed more than 100 hours of service in the past year. Some of them have contributed more than 500 hours. We are reliant on these volunteers and their contribution of time each year to make our hospice the support it is to our community. The volunteers who contributed more 100 hours in the last year are:

Max Acker, Dorothy Amily, Joyce Amstutz, Cathy Arnold, Barbara Bevins, Lisa Birkes, Diane Borger, Jim Burrill, Monica Burrill, Diane Clark, Paul Daiber, Marge Dawes, Keith Ewald, Pam Ewald, BJ Fairhurst, Helen Farster, Bonnie Franks, Jackie Fry, Tom Fry, Mary Gasser, John Gates, Jim Gentry, Wayne Giesler, Steve Gilson Sue Gochnauer, Marcy Grassman, Marilyn Gustafson, Diane Halloran, Jane Hammond, Richard Holcker, Judy Holvey, Pat Hoover, Dixie Jones, Marilyn Kamp, Marilyn Kick, Bob Kurka, Joe Leeper, Myra Leeper, Deb Lilley, Linda Lowe, Sue Madick, Catherine Martin, Kathy Mast, Jane Moore, Evelyn Musselman, Paul Noser, Barb Nussbaum. Doug Patton, Mary Pawlicki, Sharon Pooler, Marcia Prinkey, Carolyn Reed, Judy Reinking, Ron Reinking, Candy Relle, Carol Remington, Craig Rowland, Marcia Ruby, Marie Rutter, Ken Schuesselin, Rita Schuesselin, Mary Snader, Sue Snavely, Jim Snyder, Lynette Snyder, Kathy Thompson, Mabel Wade, Dorothy Walker, Beverly Weaver, Anna Weekley, Bessie Weise-Taillon, Cheryl Weiss, Judy Wild, Mary Lee Wirick, Karen Wood, Beverly Wynkoop, Brenda Ziegler, and Joy Zimmerman.

To learn more about becoming a volunteer with Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare, visit our website or call 330.264.4899.