Matt, Cabot
Matt has been volunteering with CVHHH’s hospice program, providing companionship to community members, since 2013.
Seeing hospice care in action often inspires people to give something back. Their expressions of gratitude come in many ways – maybe it’s a hug, a call, a note of appreciation, or a donation made in someone’s honor. Some individuals choose to volunteer to support someone else at the end of their life. This is how it was for Matt. Matt’s father lived with Parkinson’s disease and dementia, and he and his family were by his dad’s side as he received hospice care at the end of his life. Matt was prepared to donate to the agency that cared for his father, but a caregiver suggested that, instead, he become a volunteer.
“I said, I’m not your guy for that,” explains Matt. “Little did I know that that journey would lead me to becoming a volunteer here in Vermont.”
Several years later, Matt, who lives in Cabot, came across a volunteer opportunity with CVHHH’s hospice program. He went through the training and began volunteering shortly after; that was more than a decade ago.
What makes a volunteer? Families have different needs, and hospice volunteers may be asked to do a little bit of everything depending on the individual or situation. Delivering dinner, playing a game with a patient, doing the dishes, or simply offering companionship are some of the many ways volunteers might spend a shift.
“Every family is different. When I go into a home, I try to be clay and adapt to their environment. You check your ego at the door and do what works for them,” he says.
There’s not a single path that leads someone to become a hospice volunteer. Matt is semi-retired after a 36-year career in law enforcement. Another program volunteer is a documentary filmmaker, while another runs a lab at a nearby college.
Though people often choose to donate their time after a first-hand experience with a loved one on hospice, it’s their unique backgrounds that help them find their stride and make meaningful connections with Central Vermont families. What’s most important is following that impulse – or suggestion – to help wherever it leads. Just ask Matt:
“Even if someone doesn’t think they’d be good at volunteering, I would encourage them to try,” Matt says. “I wanted to write a check and I became a volunteer. Try it, because something may blossom that you didn’t know was there.”
