Vermont Business Magazine By day, Ram Verma is the director of technology services for the Vermont State Treasurer’s Office. Regularly, by night, Ram sits vigil with central Vermonters nearing the end of life. He does this work as a trained volunteer for Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice (CVHHH). Every year, CVHHH relies on the support of about 125 volunteers. Some people help with administrative tasks or by making patient survey phone calls in CVHHH’s Berlin office. Others prefer to get involved in fundraising and events. About 30 of CVHHH’s volunteers, including Ram, choose to go through an extensive training so that they may work directly with patients and families enrolled in hospice.
Next week is National Volunteer Week. In acknowledgement of the positive impact volunteers have on CVHHH’s patients and the broader central Vermont community, here are stories from three individuals who give their time, energy, and creativity to support CVHHH. Each person’s reasons for giving back are as unique as they are inspiring. To read their full stories and to learn more about volunteer opportunities, visit CVHHH’s website: www.cvhhh.org/volunteersrock.
Pat McDonald, Town Funding Volunteer and Former CVHHH Board Member Pat McDonald is, in her own words, “74 and still cooking.” Over a 50-year career in the public and private sectors, Pat held seven appointed positions under three Vermont governors, served two terms representing Berlin in the Vermont House of Representatives, and ran now-Governor Phil Scott’s first successful campaign for Vermont lieutenant governor. These days, Pat volunteers as a board member for Prevent Child Abuse Vermont and is board president of Campaign for Vermont, for which she also hosts a public-access TV show. A former CVHHH board member, Pat also helps CVHHH as a member of the volunteer town funding committee. This year, Pat collected approximately 120 signatures from Berlin residents for town funding.
Why I Volunteer? “CVHHH does phenomenal work, and I love the management team. I had so much fun collecting signatures because I got to see everyone in town, and my town, Berlin, is always very generous.”
Rachael Richards, Chair, Golf Tournament Volunteer Planning Committee You could say that golf runs in Rachael Richards’s family. Rachael’s husband plays as do both of her sons, who golf competitively. Rachael, who lives in East Montpelier and works as a category manager for Cabot, is going into her fourth year as chair of the Golf Tournament Volunteer Planning Committee. Over the years, Rachael has enjoyed helping plan and run the event, which has featured both of her sons, who participated as “Beat the Kid” golfers.
Why I Volunteer? Rachael’s grandparents utilized hospice support in Connecticut, where they lived. “It was such a wonderful, wonderful thing. I truly value what hospice does and think the service is so important.”
Ram Verma, Hospice Volunteer Ram came to hospice volunteering, in part, to deal with his mother’s death and to process his grief. “At the time, it really helped open up my heart,” he says. “It taught me to empathize and make connections with people and to learn about different families.” Today most of Ram’s time as a volunteer is spent at local nursing homes, where he sits vigil with people enrolled in CVHHH’s hospice program. Ram uses touch to let his clients know he’s there. He holds their hands while he sits with them for a few hours at a time.
Why I Volunteer? “Volunteering is a way for me to give back to this wonderful community. I feel privileged to sit vigil with my clients, and I feel fortunate to do this work in Vermont.”
Source: Barre, VT – CVHHH