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★ ★ ★ Salute to ★
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★ ★ Volunteers ★ ★
VITAS HEALTHCARE - BROWARD COUNTY VITAS HEALTHCARE - PALM BEACH COUNTY
Alfred Sasiadek
Hilda Estabridis
A VITAS Healthcare volunteer for more than 12 years,
Alfred Sasiadek still remembers his first patient interaction. Hilda Estabridis joined VITAS Healthcare in January
“The man was an opera enthusiast, so every time I visited 2020 as an administrative volunteer, initially assisting
him, I would bring a CD of a different opera to listen to office employees with filing and other office tasks. When
with him,” Sasiadek says. Since then, Sasiadek has volun- the COVID-19 lockdown began just months later, her
teered in almost every VITAS setting, from hospital units to helping hand was needed elsewhere.
nursing homes to patients’ homes. “Some of the patients Estabridis quickly trained to be a part of VITAS’
don’t have any family to turn to,” he says. “It’s the feeling ProActive Call to Action, an initiative where volunteers
of giving back that keeps me going.” check in regularly by phone with socially isolated hospice
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Sasiadek has transi- patients and their families/caregivers. Since then, she has
tioned to VITAS’ ProActive Call to Action, an initiative where volunteers check in by spent her time calling patients and their caregivers, and
phone regularly with socially isolated hospice patients and their families/caregivers. picking up office supplies to help VITAS administrators with various tasks.
“There is a need for volunteers, and there has been a need since I started,” he says. “I’ve “Despite the pandemic’s restrictions, Hilda has continued to be a dedicated and loyal
developed really great relationships with patients and caregivers. Some even have my member of our volunteer team,” says VITAS Volunteer Manager Gayle Stevens.
number saved in their phones.
Joyce Costello
Pamela Orozco
Joyce Costello is an administrative volunteer for VITAS
As a licensed mental health counselor, Pamela Orozco Healthcare and a member of the Loving Hands group at St.
spends most days volunteering for South Florida organiza- Matthew Catholic Church in Lake Worth, where she knits
tions, including VITAS Healthcare. She got her start in and crochets comfort items for hospice patients.
2018, visiting patients in their homes, decorating their “This is how I originally met Joyce eight years ago,”
rooms, and developing meaningful relationships. Volunteer Manager Gayle Stevens says. “We were blessed
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Orozco transi- the day she came to my office with a large bag of knitted
tioned to calling patients instead. Little did she know it afghans to donate. I invited her in to meet the other volun-
would become one of her greatest joys. teers in my office, [and] it was then that Joyce said she
“In the beginning, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to con- would like to also help in the office. The rest is history.”
nect with the patients in the same way,” Orozco says. “But COVID-19 hasn’t stopped Costello from lending a helping hand either.
after I gave it a try, I realized I absolutely love it. Just last “She meets us in the office parking lot each week, where we provide her with a box of
week, I had contact with a family member, and she was so, so sad and needed someone supplies to take home to assemble into admission packets,” Stevens explains. “Joyce’s
to talk to. We stayed on the phone for an hour, where she reminisced about her mom and dedication has enabled us to continue.”
cried. I felt so blessed to be the person there for her.”
VITAS HEALTHCARE - PALM BEACH COUNTY
Christiane Ulvert
Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Christiane
Ulvert visited hospice patients at the VITAS Inpatient
Hospice Unit at North Shore Medical Center with her spe-
cial furry friend: her dog Paprika.
As VITAS Paw Pals® volunteers, the unstoppable pair
offered a welcomed distraction for patients, bringing
smiles and helping them feel a little less lonely. Paw Pals
animals and their owners—like Ulvert and Paprika—are
trained to provide comfort, stimulate memories, encourage
activity, and provide unconditional love.
The duo has volunteered for VITAS for four years and represents VITAS Healthcare at
the Miami Relay for Life, an annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. More
recently, Ulvert and Paprika represented the Paw Pals program at the grand opening of
the VITAS Inpatient Unit at MedSquare in Kendall.
“Christiane is an outstanding VITAS Paw Pals volunteer,” says her volunteer manager.
Judy Billing
Judy Billing was gearing up to visit patients as a VITAS volunteer—and then COVID-
19 hit. Though in-person volunteering ground to a halt, Billing was determined to remain
an active advocate for patients.
That’s how she became one of the first volunteers for VITAS’ Volunteer ProActive Call
to Action, an initiative that trains volunteers to check in regularly by phone with socially
isolated hospice patients, and their families and caregivers. Since mid-2020, these VITAS
volunteers have made more than 200,000 phone calls to patients.
One year later, Billing continues to contact caregivers. She goes above and beyond by
asking to take on additional caregivers who are in need of a check in-call.
“Judy has been a patient advocate and always reports to her team,” according to her
volunteer manager
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