This past week, April 19 – 25, 2020, was National Volunteer Week in the United States and Canada. Established in 1974, it was created to recognize the impact of volunteer service and to acknowledge the hundreds of thousands of selfless people who sacrifice their personal time and resources to help others. During this historic time in our lives, volunteers have played an even larger role, especially at Hospice Ministries. We rely on volunteers every day, but the last few weeks have shed light on the critical effect that volunteers have on our organization.
Every healthcare facility in the world has experienced shortages of face masks during this pandemic, but thanks to some very special and creative volunteers, we have overcome that challenge and are extremely grateful. Enjoy these stories from a few special ladies who never missed a beat in helping us serve our families, staff, and patients.
Clara Walker lives in Madison and over the last few years she has been trying to think of a way to give back to the hospice facility that cared for her mother in her last days. She wanted to do something really special that would be a blessing because they were such a blessing to her during their hospice journey. When the coronavirus pandemic began a few weeks ago, the perfect opportunity presented itself.
Clara is a seamstress, a quilter, and a creative person, so when she saw a ‘how-to’ video on Facebook by a local surgeon on how to make a face mask, she couldn’t resist the challenge to start a new project… and a new ministry.
“I already had a lot of material from projects of all types over the years. In just under a week, my sewing friends from my Sunday School class and I made 200 masks. I cut out the pieces and divided them among all of us and the project began. We had large pieces, small pieces, school mascots, prints, and just about everything else. It was really fun to see the fabric turn into something useful.”
Clara donated all of the masks to the Hospice Ministries’ Ridgeland inpatient facility. “I loved doing this for them. When the Executive Director, Suzannah Britt, told me later how excited everyone was when they were picking out which masks they wanted to wear, it warmed my heart. I’m so glad to help,” says Clara.
Diane Robinson, from Madison, was a Home Economics major in college and has been sewing all of her life. “I know so many healthcare workers, so when I read about the shortage of masks, I knew that I could be helpful during this crisis,” she says. Diane, along with her daughters, started working immediately on the project and over the last few weeks have made almost 3,000 masks.
“One day when I was visiting my mother at Hospice Ministries one of the staff members that I have gotten to know over the last few months asked me if I’d like to make masks for family members who are visiting their loved ones there. I wanted to do that. After losing an infant in our own family over the last year, my daughters and I used our sewing to talk through a lot of things. It has been therapeutic for us as a family. We had all been praying for an opportunity to work together and start the healing process together, so although the pandemic is terrible, volunteering on this project has brought us closer together.”
Diane and her daughters get calls for masks from people all over Jackson and they’ve even started making children’s masks.
Making thousands of masks requires a lot of material and supplies and when asked where she was able to get everything she needs for her masks she replied, “I just ask people if they can help me find what I need. That’s what we do in Mississippi. When you need something, just ask and people will step up and help.”
Patsy Burns is a Bogue Chitto native who was watching YouTube one day a few weeks ago and saw someone making a face mask. “I can do that,” said Patsy. Coincidentally, the next morning Iris Waldrop from the Hospice Ministries Brookhaven location called her and asked her if she could help them by making masks. Patsy had made hospital gowns a few years earlier, and being a seamstress, she had no shortage of material to work with. “I’ve been sewing for people for years and have worked on all kinds of projects, from cheerleader outfits to pillows, hospital gowns, and now face masks.”
Patsy is retired from Kroger after many years of service and sewing is a rewarding part of her life. “Volunteering by making face masks is rewarding for me. I’ve made some for our own family and I’m glad to help out in any way that I can.”
Carolyn Smith also lives in Bogue Chitto. When the pandemic first began she made fifteen masks for a friend in a hospital in McComb. After seeing a picture of Carolyn at her sewing machine on Facebook, Suzannah Britt at Hospice Ministries called her to see if she could make thirty masks for her.
“I had put my sewing machine away a few years ago and was really looking for a reason to get it back out. When this came along, I got it out and now I’m really busy making masks!” she says.
Carolyn has sent her masks all over the country to friends and family. She’s especially sensitive to the elderly and their caregivers (her parents are 94 and 95), so she wants to make sure that if anybody needs a mask they can get one.
“Making the masks for Hospice Ministries and for anyone who needs them is a blessing to me and I’m glad that I’m able to do it,” says Carolyn.
COVID-19 is a terrible illness, but in times like these there is joy in seeing people like these four ladies volunteer to use their gifts to help the families, staff, and patients at Hospice Ministries. These are just four stories; there are many more.
Hospice care never pauses and neither does the kindness of our very special volunteers. Thank you to ALL of our volunteers. We could not do what we do without you.