Odyssey Hospice

As a stay at home mom with a 4 year old little girl I have found this an excellent opportunity to teach my daughter how important it is to try and bring a little joy and companionship to the elderly in nursing homes. We visit several times a month and it has been a great experience. Volunteering through Odyssey has made the volunteer process go smoothly and I felt well prepared before going to volunteer my first time. Any questions that have come up have been quickly answered and I highly recommend Odyssey as a volunteer organization to work with.

I truly enjoy working with the Little Rock Odyssey staff because everyone is very welcoming. I try to go twice a week to work with the bereavement coordinator to place calls to the bereaved and although the calls aren't something that is for everyone, it is very rewarding to have the bereaved person tell you how nice it is to be remembered and how special the phone calls are to them. The volunteer manager, Stephanie, does not harrass me when I am not able to come in each week which is great for me as a single mother that's in school full time. Great work environment and there are many opportunities to help out!

Through my volunteer experience with Odyssey Healthcare, I was given a better understanding of how Hospice works. It takes a very special group of people to achieve what the Odyssey Team have. I count myself very fortunate to have volunteered for such a wonderful organization. My volunteer coordinator, Stephanie Stroupe, has been very beneficial in helping me with any question or concern I may have had. She has gone above and beyond the call of duty. This experience has helped me in my search for the perfect career, Nursing.

I believe volunteering is a definitive way to show that you truly care. While I’m a college graduate aspired to become a physician, volunteering with Odyssey Healthcare is a valuable experience to anyone who is interested in a career in healthcare. No matter what you become—a nurse, a technician, or even a social worker—you will need to interact with patients and demonstrate your compassion. Working with terminal patients is a great opportunity which allowed me to get the necessary experiences in patient interaction and the added credibility behind my words during interviews. I have been volunteering since the summer of 2009 and my experiences with Odyssey Healthcare have been great. While working in a hospice can be a challenging experience, Odyssey has been very supportive. Their volunteer coordinators are considerate to my busy class/work schedule and their staff are friendly, resourceful, and have gone out of their ways to show me that they appreciate my efforts.