A Basket of Fruit: Volunteer Leaves Legacy of Compassionate Care
Maureen Haywood never said no if she could help it. As a patient volunteer for Pathways from 1999 through 2008, Maureen went wherever she was needed. In one year alone, she volunteered more than 550 hours and traveled almost 2,500 miles to reach her patients.
"She was one of the volunteers we could always rely on," says Shaguna Wilkes, Pathways Director of Volunteer Services. "Her volunteering was an incredible gift to Pathways, our patients and their families."
When Maureen passed away in 2013, she left another gift to Pathways. Pathways was included in her trust as a significant beneficiary. This planned gift will support Pathways' compassionate care that Maureen so believed in.
New volunteers to Pathways benefitted from Maureen's mentoring. She had a knack for entertaining as she informed. One longtime Pathways volunteer will never forget the basket of fruit that Maureen brought to a training—a metaphor for her volunteering philosophy. She felt each volunteer had many talents to offer, and it was up to the patients to choose what suited their needs.
When one patient became bed-bound and turned to art as a means of expression, Maureen cheered her on, bringing art supplies and arranging a showing of her art at a Pathways volunteer event. It was a thrill for the patient and a delight for the volunteers and staff.