On behalf of our Bonner General Health Community Hospice, we offer our heart-felt gratitude to our team of hospice volunteers in both Bonner and Boundary County, for your passionate and dedicated gift of presence, support and team-ship!

Each volunteer brings forth a unique gift toward our mission of serving our community members that are facing life-limiting illness; as well as being a companion for those who are grieving the loss of those they cherish.

In 2016, our team clocked in a total of 2063 hours of both direct and in-direct volunteer hours in support of our hospice mission. Our volunteers offer a gentle and nourishing presence to our clients and their families during their journey with a life-limiting illness with respite, practical & companioning support; as well as bedside vigil presence. It is through our dedicated bereavement volunteer team, that we offer ongoing support to our community that are journeying through grief with our annual Kids Grief Camp, ongoing adult grief support groups, Coping with Grief classes, one on one bereavement companioning and support, and annual our Hospice Memorial Event. Our volunteers additionally provide team support in our daily administrative tasks and offer a presence in our community through our annual fundraisers like the Rose Event, the Annual Bill Tait & Marsha Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament at the Ranch Club Golf Course, the “Spring for Sandpoint” event the retailers in Sandpoint host.

This Friday, April 21, Bonner General Health Community Hospice hosts our 2017 Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon to honor our deeply cherished team of volunteers. Our theme this year is, “Honoring the Treasures Within”.

It is through the blossoming of these innate and nourishing gifts, that we are able to assist others in ‘living fully, offering comfort and healing presence’ until the very end of life.

To each of our hospice volunteers, thank you from the depth of our heart for lending your treasure of presence and support to our community and our hospice team!

“Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us”. -Albert Schweitzer

Lissa DeFreitas is the Bonner General Health Community Hospice volunteer coordinator.