Community Hospice & Palliative Care’s “Forever in our Hearts” Memory Pillow program reached its first anniversary this June with more than 100 pillow requests from family members.
Memory pillows are special keepsakes created by volunteers that are made from an article of clothing owned by a patient. This complimentary pillow is a one-of-a-kind treasure and a loving memento.
The program is comprised of 13 sewing volunteers and two liaison volunteers who speak directly with the families and help take orders.
The volunteer team consistently receives heartwarming feedback from recipients.
“It is so thoughtful of your group to do something like this,” said one caregiver. “I miss my husband so badly. We were together for 26 years and this pillow will be greatly treasured. Thank you from my heart and God bless you all.”
In addition to the many kind comments from family members, the volunteers equally share the same sentiment and are thankful to be a part of the meaningful opportunity.
“The memory pillow program was initiated a year ago this month,” said Dan Batty, volunteer manager. “Betsy Miller, volunteer coordinator, has done a phenomenal job of organizing sewing volunteers and creating a program structure to process the requests from families for a pillow. We greatly appreciate the effectiveness with which Betsy has been able to accomplish so much in just the first year of this program. This program is a testimony to turning every critical touchpoint into an intentional encounter to create meaningful experiences and memorable moments for the families of our patients.”
For information on becoming a Community Hospice & Palliative Care volunteer, go to Volunteer.CommunityHospice.com.