Marlton, NJ – Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice recognized long-time volunteer Joan Harrigan of Moorestown, NJ for 7,000 hours of volunteer time, an agency-record, at its Winterfest celebration – an annual event that acknowledges employees and volunteers for their service milestones and dedication to the not-for-profit organization.
Joan, 85, started volunteering for Samaritan in 1995 after retiring from a career as a contract administrator. At the time, she saw a notice in her church bulletin about volunteering for Samaritan that interested her. Over the years, she has developed a special place in her heart for those coping with the end of life and grief and has never looked back.
“I’ve volunteered for Samaritan for a long time and it’s my calling,” says Harrigan.
In the last decade, Joan has offered companionship to more than 22 hospice patients and their families, served as a vigil volunteer for patients in their final moments of life and performed administrative tasks to assist the volunteer services department. She has also been a long-time committee member of Samaritan’s Ministry for Catholic Patients and Families.
“Joan is a true ambassador for Samaritan,” explains Sally Cezo, director of volunteer services, Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice. “She is more than just a volunteer– she has become a family member to us all. She remains a dedicated advocate of our mission and valuable asset to our organization.”
Samaritan offers many ways to volunteer. Patient/family support volunteers visit patients and families in their homes and offer support through companionship, reading, writing letters, sharing stories and acting as a friend or neighbor. Vigil volunteers provide a supportive presence during a patient’s final house and offer a beautiful final gift of peace and solace. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Sharon Wenner at (856) 552-3238 or [email protected].
Caption:
Joan Harrigan.jpg – Joan Harrigan of Moorestown was recognized by Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice for an agency-record 7,000 hours and 20+ years of volunteer service to the organization. Pictured from left: Sharon Wenner, volunteer recruiter, Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice; Volunteer Joan Harrigan of Moorestown; and Sally Cezo, director of volunteer services, Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice.
About Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice:
Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice is a not-for-profit, non-sectarian, independent organization locally founded in Moorestown, New Jersey in 1980. Samaritan is the regional leader for hospice care, palliative (comfort) medicine, grief support and counseling, end-of-life education, and advocacy. Samaritan serves people in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Mercer counties who are coping with the stresses of aging, serious illness or grief in their homes, assisted-living, or nursing home communities and through two inpatient hospice centers: The Samaritan Center at Mt. Holly and The Samaritan Center at Voorhees. Two thrift shops, in Westmont and Pitman, support Samaritan services and programs. Samaritan is accredited by The Joint Commission; a member of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO); the Home Care & Hospice Association of New Jersey; and is a four-star-level hospice in NHPCO’s We Honor Veterans program, created in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). For more information, visit www.SamaritanNJ.org.
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