Stocking a Patients Pantry

 Working in hospice, it’s amazing just how much our patients and families become a part of us. They are all special and it’s our mission and calling to show the kind of love and care that quite simply is best described by our company’s very name—Agape.

While all of our patients and families find their way into our hearts, there are some that come along and really tug on your heartstrings beyond compare. Such is the case with a patient we will call Bob. Bob has lived alone in his home since his beloved wife died a few years back and his living and financial conditions have significantly declined along with his health. He says he’s embarrassed by his living conditions, but he doesn’t want to leave. No matter what, it is his home. Still, his pantries are bare and there have been days where he has existed on little more than cheese and crackers, partly because of his finances and partly because of his ability to get to the store. Perhaps worst of all, however, Bob was essentially all alone. With what appears to be no strong family ties and a hesitancy to bother his neighbors with his needs, he says he has pretty much just existed, his body increasingly riddled with pain and his spirit growing lonelier by the day.

Enter Agape Care of Georgia and, most recently, Serenity Hospice Foundation, an independent 501(c)3 non-profit corporation which focuses on meeting needs and granting wishes to hospice patients. The Agape Care Georgia’s Warner Robins care team quickly got to work managing Bob’s pain and exploring ways to improve his overall situation. The team social worker has been busy looking for programs to help Bob improve his living conditions; the chaplain continues to aid him with his spiritual needs, and me and my team of volunteers have set our sights on helping reduce Bob’s loneliness through regular phone calls. And, finally, the Serenity Foundation supplied the financial means to meet Bob’s need for food and warm clothing. Just one day after I contacted the foundation, Foundation Director Hailey Green was on the phone. And within two days, myself and volunteers Barbara and Keith Hayes were on a shopping trip purchasing a smorgasbord of food and necessities for Bob—two shopping carts full when all was said and done. On day three, Warner Robins Branch Chaplain Robbie Passmore assisted me with delivering everything. Bob was overwhelmed and tearful at the sight of all the goodies and, when I called to check on him the next day, he gushed with gratitude and thankfulness.

 “I can’t thank you all enough,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion. “I have already had some chicken and rice, a tuna sandwich, some fruit and yogurt and some pudding and apple pie. It’s amazing how much having choices has already improved my appetite.”

Thank you, Serenity Foundation, for helping us go the extra mile in taking care of Bob and so many others.

             Job well done.