Veterans, we want YOU!
Few are more deserving of our gratitude for the freedoms that we enjoy than the men and women who sacrificed to serve our country—our nation’s Veterans. Did you know that one out of every four Americans who will die today is a military Veteran? We want to ensure that each and every one of them receives the utmost care, comfort, and respect until their last breath.
At Delaware Hospice, we offer home-based and inpatient services specially tailored to the needs and desires of Veterans facing life-limiting illnesses. As a three-star partner of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s We Honor Veterans program, we’re committed to improving the quality of life for our Vets and their families at the end of life’s journey.
But we need your help!
The Vet to Vet Volunteer Program
The highlight of our Veteran-oriented care is the Vet to Vet Volunteer program. Through the Vet to Vet program, trained Delaware Hospice volunteers who are military Veterans themselves visit with military Veterans in our care. Because Veterans share a unique culture and language, they often form fast bonds and a sense of camaraderie.
Vet to Vet volunteers provide everything from a listening ear to assistance replacing lost medals. Because Veterans are more likely to open up to fellow Vets about past experiences, Vet to Vet volunteers can help dissolve barriers of stoicism and secrecy that often accompany military service.
Mike Raser, an Army Specialist 4th Class during the Vietnam War, is one of our 15 Veteran volunteers currently helping others by running errands, transporting patients, and sitting vigil.
“When they [Delaware Hospice] call me, I know I can make a difference because someone needs me now,” Mike explains.
Once, Mike was invited to give the eulogy for a 91-year-old World War II Vet with whom he’d grown particularly close. He had become a valuable resource for the family over the course of several months, and he knew just what they needed. That day, Mike brought smiles to their faces and joy to the church, regaling them with stories the Vet had shared, from his childhood antics squirting the cat with milk on their Iowa dairy farm to how he was “captured” the day he met his wife-to-be.
We know there are many more Vets and their families who could benefit from our specialty hospice care, especially Vets who find themselves alone for whatever reason at the end of life. But we need more Veteran volunteers to drive this program forward!
Help us ensure that no Vet dies alone. Volunteer today.