Southeast Hospice Honors Volunteers

Southeast Hospice honored its dedicated volunteers at its annual appreciation banquet earlier this month.

Volunteer Tina Bles of Cape Girardeau received the 2013 Cherub Award. The Guardian Angel Award went to Jean Mueller of Frohna, Mo., and Helen Hunt of Cape Girardeau received the Gabriel Award.

The Cherub Award recognizes any volunteer or group of volunteers who offer support primarily in the areas of fundraising, office support and public relations. The Guardian Angel Award is given to a Hospice volunteer who expresses dedication to the patients and families. The Gabriel Award is the highest award and recognizes a volunteer who has shown dedication to patients and families in a variety of ways, both directly and indirectly.

Bles joined Southeast Hospice in 2005. She donated about 800 hours to Hospice this year alone. She says she will do almost anything except gift wrapping, notes Hospice Volunteer Coordinator Pearla Smith.

Mueller started volunteering with Hospice in 2011. In the past two years, she has contributed more than 1,300 hours to patient care, including serving as an 11th Hour volunteer to provide extra comfort and companionship during patients' final hours.

"This volunteer will drive just about any distance to see a patient and family. She drives over 60 miles to provide respite for her current family. She constantly goes out of her way to help Southeast Hospice and the patients and families," Smith says.

Hunt, who began volunteering with Hospice in 2004, has "taken on patients for companionship and respite, and donated countless hours to fundraising, clerical work, Careline phone calls and funeral visitations," Smith says.

Hunt also has donated the stuffing, fabric and labor to make more than 1,000 pillows for Hospice patients.

"No matter the illness or surgery that she experiences, she comes right around to help us again," Smith adds.

Southeast Hospice volunteers donated 10,278 hours of service to assist terminally ill patients and their families this year. Volunteers traveled 13,523 miles, amounting to a donation of $7,640 in mileage expenses, Smith says.

Volunteers, who were recognized at the banquet on Dec. 17 at Southeast Hospital, included Mary Ann Boren, five years; Ann Amelunke, Frank Crites, Jeanne Crites and Debbie Goodier, 10 years; Rita Aunspach, 15 years; and Charles Hopkins, 20 years.