Two Greenville High School Students Volunteer at State of the Heart Hospice

Pictured are Olivia Herron and Jordan Bourne

Two 17-year-old Greenville High School students are perfect examples of how you can volunteer when you want and for how long you want at State of the Heart Hospice. Volunteers are an important part of the team of caregivers at the nonprofit agency which cares for patients and families in eastern Indiana and western Ohio who are confronting a life limiting illness.

Olivia Herron and Jordan Bourne, both of Greenville, each volunteers in the afternoons at the State of the Heart office, 1350 N. Broadway, by serving as receptionist at the office front desk, and taking calls from patients and families.

“We had a need for someone to serve as a receptionist for part of the afternoon,” explained Volunteer Manager Pauline Faller. The two teenagers offered to help the agency in any way needed, and following an orientation, the two became volunteers. They are the agency’s youngest volunteers, while the oldest is 99 years old.

“I have volunteered at the Brethren’s Retirement Community and enjoy interacting with the senior residents,” explained Herron. Bourne said he enjoys “being able to help out in a way that benefits people.” Bourne said he has had a personal interaction with State of the Heart as both of his grandparents were under hospice care.

Volunteers do a variety of tasks at the agency’s three offices. In addition to the Greenville location, State of the Heart has an office in Coldwater and one in Portland. Volunteers sit with patients while caregivers run errands or take a break, help with office tasks, and assist in fund raising events for the agency. There is always a need for volunteers and orientation sessions are held periodically
throughout the year at each of the office locations.

Herron shows up every Wednesday at 3 p.m. and works until the office closes at 4:30; Bourne has the same schedule on Thursday. They said they both enjoy volunteering, and at the same time they are fulfilling school community service requirements. Herron is fulfilling requirements as a member of the National Honor Society, and Bourne, who is in a medical technology course of study, is fulfilling requirements for his career choice. He hopes to become a paramedic or work in HVAC, and Herron wants to go into the communications field. They are both juniors.

“We have the benefit of having two people who are anxious to help and who serve an important function for us, and they do it on their schedule and contribute the amount of hours they can do,” stated Faller.

For more information about becoming a volunteer, or any of the services offered by State of the Heart Hospice, visit the agency web site at www.stateoftheheartcare.org.