During the month of April, Mountain Hospice will be showing appreciation and support for their volunteers. The volunteers, who graciously give of themselves to increase the quality of life for others, are the angels of Mountain Hospice. Mountain Hospice would also like to recognize all the volunteers who lend their time and talents to help the communities in our service areas. Without our volunteers, the services of Mountain Hospice could never be what they are today. Mountain Hospice volunteers do a variety of duties but are only dedicated to one task. The volunteer program offers nine different opportunities to serve, there are no set number of hours that a volunteer must work, and scheduling is flexible to help meet personal preferences.

If you are looking for a special way of giving to enrich your own life, hospice may hold the key. The fulfillment and satisfaction of sharing time and talents is the ultimate reward of true giving. Hospice volunteers are naturally caring, compassionate, dependable, mature individuals with nonjudgmental attitudes who wish to make a difference for the people in our community.

To help you get started, we offer free training sessions that cover the psychosocial, physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of terminal illnesses. If you are interested in becoming a Mountain Hospice volunteer, call Tia Hovatter, Volunteer Coordinator, at 823-3922.

On May 6th as part of National Nurses Week, Mountain Hospice will join the American Nurses Association in celebrating National RN Recognition Day that is held every year the week of May 6-12. May 6th is marked as RN Recognition Day, and May 12 is the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of nursing as a modern profession. The purpose of National RN Recognition Day is to raise awareness of the value of nursing and help educate the public about the role nurses play in meeting the health care needs of the American people.

Mountain Hospice would like to take this time to recognize our nurses and all that they do to make a difference in the quality of life for patients with a terminal illness. Being a hospice nurse is a special gift. Not everyone has the ability to assist a patient who is dying, while guiding the family through the process.

In honor of the dedication, commitment, and tireless effort of the nearly 2.9 million nurses nationwide to promote and maintain the health of this nation, the ANA and Mountain Hospice are proud to recognize nurses on this particular day for the quality of work they provide seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Cyndi Arbogast, Tom Arbogast, Gayle Boyette, Kimberly Brenwalt, Sara Brock, Bethany Cangley, Melissa Flint, Deborah Goodman, Julie Green, Misty Hill, Jean Ann Homan, Cassie Lantz, Deborah Mallow, Jennifer McDaniels, Pamela McLaughlin, Marilyn Milem, Elaine Miller, Susan Miller, Phoebe Mollard, Jamie Morgan, Neal Phillips, Sally Phillips, Colleen Plaugher, Tammy Propst, Dorothy Scott, Patty Shears, Diana Smith, Michelle VanDevander, Kathy Verzich, Mary Whetzel, Gail Wright, and Miranda Wright.

Mountain Hospice will be available at the Elkins Walgreens the 3rd Wednesday of each month to offer hospice information, free blood pressure checks, assistance with advance directives, and Hemoglobin or glucose testing. Mountain Hospice strives to serve the people in our community as much as possible. Our caring staff is available to provide networking services and a variety of other beneficial programs, even if the individual doesn't qualify at the present time for hospice services.

Mountain Hospice is available for community events, public speaking, and education. If you or someone you know is in need of medical assistance, medical equipment, or you have questions about needing help to support a caregiver, contact Mountain Hospice. For more information, please visit our website at www.mountainhospice.com.

Mountain Hospice is excited to announce the ground breaking of their new Memorial Garden located behind their office in Belington. "After a few years of struggling to get the project moving, The Lions Club of Junior saw our need and volunteered to help with the construction”, stated Shannon Gear, Director of Development. Upon the completion, a dedication ceremony and celebration will be planned for this summer 2008. Before the permanent garden structure is finished, the Board of Directors and Mountain Hospice staff has extended an open invitation to everyone in the community to have a part in the completion of the garden's permanent structure. The community can now purchase a personalized memorial brick with your name, family member, or a personalized message that will be engraved on the brick - a long enduring memory that will surpass time and will be long remembered and associated with the growing services that Mountain Hospice provides, and has provided since 1991.

Your personalized brick will become a permanent part of our garden memorial structure, and you will be able to view it any time you wish. The personalized bricks come with a lifetime guarantee and, as your memory, it will not fade in time. Mountain Hospice will be adding other specialized items to the garden and would like your suggestions or ideas of special memorial things that could be donated to beautify our garden and also give honor to loved ones. Some ideas we have received are: a park bench, rose bush, special garden pieces, stones, and other items. If you are interested in assisting with this special project, please contact Mountain Hospice. Another way you can help is by becoming a volunteer to help maintain the garden. If you have any questions or are interested in volunteering or purchasing a brick, please contact Shannon Gear at 823-3922 or 1-888-763-7789.