Since 2013, Caitlin Wilson has been volunteering with Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton wherever she can, from providing respite care to making items for Camp Pathways, Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton’s children’s grief camp. She also has made Veteran quilts for our Commemorative Walk.

“I have always liked working with the elderly and, at the time, I was considering going into healthcare,” she said. “A career in healthcare didn’t stick, but I really loved volunteering with hospice, and here I am nine years later!”

She has made pillows to hold Veterans’ pins, memory bears, dog bandanas for the animal-assisted therapy volunteers, canvas flags for Camp Pathways, masks for staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, and reusable coffee sleeves as gifts for volunteers and staff. 

“I’ve loved doing everything for hospice because everyone I have worked with has been excellent,” Wilson said. “Everyone is super kind and caring, and it’s a pleasure to work with everyone.”

She was on the team that made the original Veteran quilts for the Commemorative Walk, which is part of Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton’s efforts to serve and honor patients and families. 

When a patient passes at the Hospice House, our staff assists the funeral home personnel in transferring the patient. A quilt is placed on the patient who has passed, and a short message is read by a member of the Hospice House staff. As the patient’s family leaves the patient’s room, Hospice House team members gather with the patient’s family in silence along the corridor to show respect and acknowledge the loss of the patient. For patients who served in the military, a Veteran quilt is placed over them.

Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton identified the need for another Veteran quilt for the Commemorative Walk. Ashley Faun, volunteer coordinator at Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, shared the request with Wilson. 

“Our hospice volunteers play an essential role in caring for our patients and families. They prepare things such as blankets and information packets for our support team and clinical staff,” Faun said. “Their efforts allow our care teams to care for our patients and families more efficiently.”

Wilson knew she wanted to take on the task of quilting and binding the quilt. 

“I really enjoyed working on the original quilt team since it was an unusual request and that appears to be my specialty,” she said. “My late grandfather was also a World War II Veteran and a Commander at a VFW. So, it was nice to make something that honors other military members.”

We’re grateful to Wilson and all our volunteers for their support of our mission. To learn more about volunteering, click here.