Ohio’s Hospice often likes to say volunteers are the heart of hospice, and that remains true at Ohio’s Hospice. On April 24 over 120 volunteers were present at the volunteer annual recognition dinner, held at the Church of the Nazarene in Wooster.
Each year at this time, Ohio’s Hospice honors one of its volunteers with a recognition that has become its Volunteer of the Year. It is its Kearney Award, given to the volunteer who has contributed a large number of hours of volunteer service in the previous year, in an excellent manner.
The Kearney Award is presented by Dr. Walter Kearney, for whom the award is named. Kearney was a part of the original team of local individuals whose work transformed end-of-life care in the community through the founding of the hospice. Kearney gave countless hours to the mission of the hospice as a founder, a member, president of the board of directors and as a medical director, beginning in 1978 before the hospice had served its first patient and continuing beyond his retirement.
This year’s Kearney Award winner was someone who made an enormous contribution in the last year, close to 400 hours, to the mission of Ohio’s Hospice, in support of patients and their families: Beverly Wynkoop.
During the evening Ohio’s Hospice recognized over 70 volunteers who contributed over 100 hours in the past year. Sixteen volunteers celebrated a five-year milestone, seven volunteers celebrated 10 years and six volunteers celebrated 15 years.
This past year Ohio’s Hospice has added 20 new volunteers into the program. There are over 170 on the team.
