Providence Hospice and Home Care held its annual volunteer appreciation and recognition dinner in June. Almost 200 Providence volunteers, board and staff members attended this special event which salutes the many volunteers who significantly impact the agency. The dinner is also an occasion to honor a few special volunteers with awards.  

“Many years ago our agency was founded by volunteers who responded to a need they recognized in the community,”  reflected Paula Beatty, Executive Director of Providence Hospice and Home Care. “Many, many years later they continue to respond.  Our appreciation for their ongoing dedication is deep and heartfelt. We truly could not do it without them.”

A number of volunteers received special recognition for their outstanding service:

• The Sue White Award was given to Ann Bradford of Edmonds for her extraordinary compassionate service as a hospital vigil volunteer.

• Marilyn Jespersen of Everett was awarded the Tom Barton “Spirit of Volunteerism” Award for her outstanding and tireless dedication to the Lifeline Program as well as offering her skills in the volunteer office on a weekly basis.

• The Woodrow Award was shared by Rick Snyder of Marysville and Jana Evich of Mountlake Terrace.  They were recognized for their efforts and dedication leading up to Camp Erin as well as their commitment to seeing that every thing runs smoothly during camp.

• A new award was added this year - the Partners in Palliative Care Volunteer Award.  The winner, Margaret McKay-Green of Everett was cited for going beyond the basic requirement of being a compassionate listener and providing liaison support between the Partners clinic staff at Marysville and the main Everett Clinic. Her dedication and empathetic listening skills were noted as creating a standard for others to emulate. 

• The Angel of Hospice Award was posthumously awarded to Anne Hartline, who died in November 2009. The Angel Award is the agency’s highest award which recognizes service, philanthropy or special accomplishments benefiting hospice.  Anne was honored for the inspiration she provided cancer patients in Snohomish County and her advocacy for hospice care, both as an employee and later as a patient of Providence Hospice and Home Care.

 In 2009, 401 volunteers donated 35,345 hours of time to Providence Hospice and Home Care which equates to a cost savings of $715,737.

For more information about this press release, please contact:

Connie J. Wittren, CFRE, Director of Development

Providence Hospice and Home Care of Snohomish County

2731 Wetmore Ave., Suite 500

Everett, WA 98201

connie.wittren@providence.org

425-261-4805 (phone)

425-261-4821 (fax)