Ohio’s Hospice honors volunteers

Ohio’s Hospice recognized more than 150 volunteers April 23 during its Volunteer Annual Recognition Dinner at the Church of the Nazarene in Wooster.

Each year, Ohio’s Hospice honors one volunteer with the Kearney Award, which serves as the organization’s Volunteer of the Year Award. The award is presented to a volunteer who contributed an exceptionally large number of hours of service during the previous year in an exceptionally excellent manner.

This year’s Kearney Award was presented by Dr. Walter Kearney, for whom the award is named. Kearney was part of the original team of local individuals whose work transformed end-of-life care in the community through the founding of the hospice. He gave countless hours to the mission as a founder, member and president of the board of directors, and as medical director, beginning in 1978 before the hospice had served its first patient and continuing beyond his retirement.

This year’s Kearney Award winner is Carol Polter, who contributed close to 350 hours in the past year to the mission of Ohio’s Hospice in support of patients and their families.

During the evening, Ohio’s Hospice recognized more than 75 volunteers who contributed more than 100 hours in the past year. Four volunteers celebrated five years of service: Joanne Downs, Alan Kiefer, Pat Petit and Lynn Young. Four volunteers were recognized for 10 years of service: Melissa Butler, Ken and Rita Schuesselin, and MaryLee Wirick. Jackie Smith was recognized for 15 years of service. Judy Holvey and Brenda Zielger were recognized for 20 years of service, and Myra Leeper was recognized for 30 years of service.

Ohio’s Hospice added 12 new volunteers to the program this past year. The organization has more than 170 volunteers on its team.